A confrontation that began over an alleged trespassing violation at a national wildlife refuge ended with a Mohave Valley man on fire beside a gas pump after a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer deployed a stun gun, according to a FOX 10 Phoenix investigation by reporter Justin Lum.
The July 16 encounter was captured on cellphone video from the point of view of Clarence Coyl, who said he had driven through an open gate near Catfish Paradise at the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge before being confronted by a federal officer.
Coyl later drove about 20 minutes to Thalypo Convenience & Fireworks on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation, where the same officer, identified on his uniform as P. Nielsen, approached him again and demanded identification.
Seconds later, Nielsen deployed an electronic control device, and flames erupted beside the fuel pump.
The Dispute Began at the Wildlife Refuge
Coyl told Lum that he and a friend had driven through an open gate while approaching Catfish Paradise when they first encountered the officer.
According to Coyl, Nielsen accused them of trespassing and ordered them to leave.
Coyl said he agreed to go, but the exchange became tense after the officer mentioned issuing a ticket. Coyl responded that the officer would have to trespass him first.
He then left the refuge and drove to the gas station on reservation land.
On its own, that part of the encounter sounds like the kind of minor dispute that normally ends with a warning, citation, or argument over access rules. What makes the case so unusual is that the confrontation did not end at the refuge; it followed Coyl to a completely different location where fuel pumps introduced an obvious additional danger.
The Officer Confronted Him Again at the Pump
Lum’s report shows cellphone video of Coyl standing near the gas pump as the Fish and Wildlife officer demands identification.
“You’re gonna go to jail,” Nielsen can be heard saying. “All I’m asking for is your license right now to identify you.”
Coyl repeatedly asks why he is being arrested.
The officer responds that Coyl is not cooperating after having committed a crime.
Coyl then challenges the seriousness of the alleged offense, calling it a misdemeanor and referring to what he believed was a small fine.
Moments later, the stun gun is deployed.
The phone falls, and the video no longer clearly shows the people involved, but flames can be seen and Coyl can be heard screaming in pain.
“All I asked you was why I was being arrested, and you wouldn’t explain it to me,” Coyl says afterward.
The visual setting matters enormously here. A stun gun deployment on an empty roadside presents one set of risks; using an electrical device beside gasoline and vapors presents another entirely.
Coyl Says He Thought He Was Going to Die
Coyl told FOX 10 that when the fire erupted, his first thought was that he was going to die.
He said instinct took over and he immediately tried to stop, drop, and roll.
Paramedics later treated him, and he was transported to a hospital, where he said he spent roughly five and a half hours.
Coyl told Lum that he suffered first- and second-degree burns on his hands along with severe nerve damage.
He also said he was never arrested.
According to Coyl, no officer came to the hospital afterward to question him, write a report in his presence, or explain what would happen next.
That detail adds another strange layer to the incident. The officer had allegedly told Coyl he was going to jail moments before the stun gun was used, yet Coyl says the encounter ended with medical treatment rather than an arrest.
Department Policy Raises Questions About the Deployment
FOX 10 contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about the officer’s actions.
A spokesperson confirmed that a Taser had been used and said the deployment was under review.
“A taser was deployed during this incident,” the agency said in a statement provided to Lum. “Consistent with DOI policy, all such deployments undergo review, and we are unable to comment further while that process is ongoing.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is part of the Department of the Interior, and Lum highlighted the department’s written policy governing electronic control devices.
That policy says officers generally should not use the devices when they could cause direct or secondary injuries, including when a person is near flammable or explosive materials, unless there is a clearly articulated and compelling reason.
That language is especially important because the confrontation happened at a fuel pump.
The policy does not automatically prove that the officer violated department rules, since the full facts and the officer’s explanation have not yet been made public. Still, the location alone creates a serious question that the review will likely have to address.
If an electrical device is used in an environment where ignition is a known risk, the reason for doing so should be especially strong and clearly documented.
The Tribe Declined to Comment
Lum also contacted the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe because the gas station is located on tribal land.
The tribe said it had no comment on the incident.
That leaves the Fish and Wildlife Service’s internal review as the main official process currently known to be examining the officer’s use of force.
The available video captures only part of the broader encounter, and the agency has not publicly released a detailed account explaining Nielsen’s decision to deploy the device.
For now, the most important unresolved questions concern what the officer believed Coyl was doing at that moment, why he believed a stun gun was necessary, and whether the danger posed by the gas pump was considered before the device was fired.
Those questions matter because use-of-force decisions are often judged not only by whether force was legally available, but whether the particular level and type of force made sense under the circumstances.
Coyl Says the Effects Continue Beyond the Burns
Coyl told FOX 10 that the injuries were not limited to his hands and nerves.
He said returning to gas stations now causes intense anxiety.
“I start shaking really bad, and I start having flashbacks,” Coyl told Lum, adding that he has also experienced severe nightmares.
The psychological effect is understandable given the location of the incident. A gas station is an ordinary place most people visit without thinking twice, but for Coyl it is now connected to the moment he says he believed he might burn to death.
The physical injuries may heal faster than that association.
Lum’s report leaves the case in an unsettled position: Coyl was not arrested, the agency has not publicly explained the full basis for the Taser deployment, and the Department of the Interior review remains ongoing.
What is clear from the video is that a confrontation over an alleged trespassing offense escalated dramatically after the officer followed Coyl to a gas station and deployed an electronic control device near a fuel pump.
The original issue appears to have involved access to a wildlife refuge.
The resulting incident involved fire, burns, nerve damage, emergency medical treatment, and a federal use-of-force review.
That difference in scale is what makes the case so difficult to ignore.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
