ALEXANDRIA, La. – (KALB/NBC News) A Louisiana district attorney's office has dismissed charges against two Rapides Parish Sheriff's deputies after a grand jury indictment for negligent injury in a bizarre case dating back to November 2016.
The deputies responded to reports of a man threatening his neighbors and a mailman.
Body camera video shows the man, 75-year-old Walter Hopkins, meet them at the door of his home, holding a knife.
Back-up arrived and the deputies brought in one of Hopkins' relatives to help calm him down and coax him out of the house for questioning.
When that didn't work they pushed open the door.
The video shows Hopkins tried to attack them with the weapon. One deputy took out his taser, and as he pulled the trigger, Hopkins pulled out a cup of gasoline.
The mix of gas and the taser caused Hopkins, the deputies, and the home to catch fire. One of the deputies then reached for what they believed was a bucket of water. However, it was actually more gas, which caused the front porch to catch fire.
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