Man douses himself in gasoline, threatens to self-immolate during stand-off with SWAT
A Mendocino County man has been arrested after a contentious encounter with SWAT that ended with authorities flushing him out of his vehicle with a fire hose, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The man, identified as 50-year-old Marc Lucas of Point Arena, was already wanted for arrest in connection to a July 17 traffic stop that he reportedly fled from, leading a deputy on an eight-mile pursuit before ultimately escaping.
Just before 2 PM on August 1, deputies and a CHP officer who were looking for Lucas on the 29000 block of Albion Ridge Road spotted him as he drove by.
They then pursued him for a little over two miles before he stopped, got out of his truck, and displayed part of what he claimed was an SKS semi-automatic assault-style rifle, demanding to be left alone and threatening to shoot anyone who tried to take him in.
At some point, he also crashed his truck into the front end of a patrol vehicle that was blocking him. A deputy then deployed K-9 deputy Takoda to help subdue Lucas, but Lucas managed to get back into his truck and repeatedly slammed the door, smashing Takoda’s head between the door and the jamb.
Lucas again exited the vehicle, grabbed a can of gas from the rear of his truck, and poured gasoline all over the vehicle and himself, threatening to blow up himself and any deputies who tried to arrest him. He then barricaded himself in the truck.
SWAT personnel responded to the scene in an armored vehicle and positioned themselves nearby to set up negotiations. Later that evening, they developed a plan to use a fire hose to flush the gasoline, and Lucas, out of the vehicle.
Albion Little-River volunteer fire personnel agreed to help and positioned a fire engine a safe distance away from the site. SWAT members deployed the fire house and began flushing out the vehicle.
After about 15 seconds, Lucas got out and was taken into custody with the help of K9 deputy Bo. He was then transported to a local hospital for medical clearance before being booked. Authorities have not revealed the current condition of K9 deputy Takoda.
The gun Lucas threatened deputies with was later determined to be an air-powered pellet rifle.
