Catskill PD facing $20M lawsuit after tasing incident

CATSKILL, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Catskill Police Department is facing a lawsuit from the family of a man who died after he was tased.

Investigators said Jason Jones, 29, walked into the police department in October 2021 and appeared agitated. He then doused himself in hand sanitizer.

Jones caught fire after he was tased and suffered serious injuries. He died a few months later. The lawsuit claims the officers did not come to his aid quickly enough and says the police department needs to provide better training.

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) is continuing to look into the incident. OSI looks at all incidents where a police officer may have caused a person’s death. If their assessment indicates an officer caused the death, OSI proceeds with a full investigation.

The family is seeking $20 million in damages.