OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – A man in Oklahoma has died after setting himself on fire as sheriff’s deputies tried to serve him an eviction notice. The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office released chilling body camera footage capturing the incident.
Anthony Goulding, 82, ignited a fire that swiftly enveloped his residence. According to Sheriff Tommie Johnson III, Goulding appeared to hurl a gasoline can at one of the two female deputies present. The deputies were forced to evacuate Goulding’s wife, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, from the flaming house. One of the officers suffered a minor burn in the process.
The body-camera video reveals Goulding pouring liquid from a gas can in a hallway as deputies interact with his wife in the living area. As one deputy approaches, Goulding pulls out what looks to be a lighter, ignites the floor in front of him, and is instantaneously engulfed in flames. Despite the rapidly spreading fire, the deputies managed to extract the woman, who is unable to walk independently, before escaping the house.
Sheriff Johnson reported at a press briefing that one of the deputies involved had previously attempted to help Goulding and his wife find accommodation following the eviction.
According to a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, the woman has found a temporary place to stay and did not sustain any injuries during the incident. Tragically, a dog was killed in the fire.