Taser-wielding Canadian police inadvertently caused a horrific underpant conflagration at the weekend, according to reports.

In the course of subduing a non-compliant Ontario citizen, the officers - as is nowadays routine practice - fired a miniaturised flying cattleprod module into his body and passed a high voltage current through it. Typically this leaves even the most obstreperous miscreant jittering on the floor, easily braceleted.

Unfortunately, in this case, tragedy struck. The unnamed suspect at the centre of the case had apparently - for reasons which are not yet clear - elected to store some kind of incendiary materials in his personal region. As the crippling multi-kilovot stungun pulses coursed through the hapless individual's twitching limbs, this igniferous stash erupted in a terrifying yet unambiguously newsworthy in-pant blaze situation.

A spokeswoman from the Ontario heat (cough) told  the Hamilton Spectator:

"During the interaction, an officer discharged his Taser. A flammable object the man had in the waistband of his pants ignited."

There was no information as to the nature or precise location of the trousered combustibles, but it seems that the man sustained burns to the hand and "thigh". However, it appears that quick-thinking plods managed to stifle or otherwise extinguish his blazing smalls before they could be completely gutted by fire. Though the unfortunate 31-year-old did require hospital treatment, his injuries were reportedly "non-life-threatening".

The incident is now being investigated by a special state police unit which handles cases of this type.

The Spectator report has now been picked up by most of the reputable journals (http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/04/taser-shock-tri.html) covering electric-justice trouser fireball related topics.®   :blink: