Oklahoma man attacks deputies with a homemade flamethrower. Then a dangerous faceoff begins: ‘Back out, back out!’
The flames were shocking, but the restraint sparked the real firestorm
Serving an eviction notice is not supposed to end with deputies dodging flames. But in Oklahoma City, a routine court order reportedly turned into a dangerous confrontation when a 61-year-old man attacked officers with a homemade flamethrower. And the fire was only part of the danger.
The deputies were forced to retreat as flames shot toward them. Inside the apartment, they also encountered what appeared to be an explosive device connected to a car battery. Yet despite the threat, the man was taken into custody alive, and that detail quickly became a major talking point.
A video shared on TikTok by CBS News captured the chaotic encounter, with officers repeatedly shouting warnings as they backed away. But while some viewers were stunned by the unusual weapon, others were more interested in the deputies’ response. Their reactions raised uncomfortable questions about how differently police encounters can end.
Things got dangerous pretty fast
The incident unfolded on August 11, when deputies arrived at an Oklahoma City apartment to serve an eviction order. Instead of complying, 61-year-old Darron Dunn allegedly confronted them with an improvised flamethrower.
According to authorities, the device sent flames approximately 15 feet toward the deputies. Body-camera footage captured officers scrambling to get away as someone repeatedly shouted, “Back out, back out!” Another warned, “Fire! Fire!” as the situation became increasingly dangerous.
The confrontation took another turn when deputies noticed what appeared to be an improvised explosive device connected to a car battery. One officer warned the others about the battery before more urgent orders followed. “Everybody out! Everybody out!” someone shouted, prompting the deputies to retreat from the apartment.
Despite the dangerous encounter, Dunn was eventually taken into custody. According to KOCO, he later received medical and psychiatric care and faced several criminal allegations, including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
While the homemade flamethrower caught people’s attention, many were more surprised that the confrontation ended with an arrest rather than a fatal shooting. Some immediately compared the deputies’ response with other police encounters that had ended very differently.
“Crazy to think a lady was shot and killed for allegedly throwing boiling water at an officer but the homemade flamethrower guy gets shown restraint,” one commenter wrote.
The remark appeared to reference Sonya Massey, a Black woman who was fatally shot by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy in 2024 after calling police for help. Her killing, which followed an encounter involving a pot of hot water, sparked national outrage over police use of force.
Another person brought up the killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was shot by Cleveland police in 2014 while carrying a toy gun. “They shot 12 year old Tamir Rice for a toy gun in a public park,” the commenter pointed out.
Others brought up Breonna Taylor, a Black woman killed during a police raid in Louisville in 2020. Her death sparked widespread protests and renewed scrutiny of the Louisville police department’s use of force.
“Annnnd they shot Breonna Taylor who was unarmed…” one person wrote.
“So they can show restraint for a guy actively trying to burn them alive but unload the whole clip on kids with toys,” another commenter questioned.
Some went further, suggesting race played a role in how the Oklahoma confrontation ended. “But if he was any other color they would shoot onsite but since he is white….” one person claimed.
Not everyone focused on the officers’ response, however. Some questioned whether the homemade weapon deserved its dramatic name. “‘Flamethrower’ and its a can of axe body spray and a lighter,” one commenter joked. Another simply wrote, “Not even a flamethrower.”
The jokes aside, the discussion revealed a larger frustration. Deputies faced a man allegedly directing flames toward them, discovered another potential threat inside his apartment, and still managed to take him into custody. For many commenters, the question wasn’t why the officers showed restraint. It was why that same level of restraint has appeared absent in other encounters.
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