OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 28 (Our Oklahoma Times) — Darron Dunn, 61, faces out-of-custody charges after Oklahoma County sheriff’s deputies said he aimed an improvised flamethrower at them while they served an eviction order at an Oklahoma City apartment.
The incident happened shortly before 11:55 a.m. Aug. 11 at an apartment on South Harvey Avenue, according to an Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office incident report. Law enforcement later released body-camera footage of the encounter.
The charges reported in connection with the case include assault and battery with a dangerous or deadly weapon, a charge involving the possession, use, manufacture or threatened use of an incendiary device or explosives, and obstructing an officer. Some accounts also list aggravated assault. The supplied records do not identify a court, case number or charging document, so the exact wording of the counts could not be independently confirmed.
Dunn has not been convicted of the allegations.
What allegedly happened during the eviction
Deputies were at the apartment to serve an eviction order when they encountered Dunn, according to the sheriff’s office report. The report says Dunn sprayed an aerosol substance toward law enforcement and ignited it, producing what authorities described as an improvised flamethrower.
Body-camera footage shows deputies retreating from the apartment during the encounter, according to descriptions released with the video. The sheriff’s office said the flames traveled about 15 feet toward a deputy. The identity of that deputy was not released.
The incident report described the setup as two rows of different aerosol cans taped together with wires. An officer also can be heard in the footage saying the device was connected to a battery.
The allegations describe a weapon made from common materials. An aerosol can releases a flammable substance under pressure. If that spray is ignited, it can create a stream of flame. The footage and report do not establish the exact construction or range of the device beyond the sheriff’s office estimate about how far the flames traveled.
Why a bomb squad was called
Deputies said they found a car battery with wires attached and another wired device near the apartment’s front door. Residents were evacuated, and sheriff’s tactical personnel and bomb technicians responded.
A sheriff’s office spokesperson said bomb technicians determined the wired aerosol-can device was unlikely to explode in the configuration in which it was found. The spokesperson said it could still have sparked or heated up if bare wires touched a car-battery terminal.
That distinction matters. An apparent improvised explosive device is not necessarily a functioning bomb. In this case, authorities described a device that posed a potential fire or electrical hazard, but the supplied records do not provide a formal technical classification from bomb technicians.
The bomb squad disabled and removed the device, according to the incident report. No injuries were reported.
What happened to Dunn
Deputies detained Dunn after the incident. The report said he was initially taken to a Veterans Affairs hospital for medical issues or evaluation. Some accounts said he was later moved to a mental-health hospital, but the facility and the reason for the transfer were not identified.
The supplied information indicates that charges were filed outside of custody by Aug. 27. It does not establish whether Dunn was formally booked, arraigned or held after the filings.
The case remains at the accusation stage. A criminal charge is an allegation, and prosecutors would have to prove the claims in court for a conviction.
