A Queens man was arrested Friday night after allegedly pouring a flammable liquid over his body inside the vestibule of the Fifth Precinct in Elmont, prompting officers to tackle him before the situation escalated.
According to Nassau County police, the incident occurred on March 6 at approximately 10:50 p.m. at the Fifth Precinct, located at 1655 Dutch Broadway.
A 25-year-old woman had been inside the precinct filing a domestic incident report. As she exited the building, she reportedly saw Paul Mcewen, 50, of 17621 133rd Avenue in Queens, who was the subject of the report, approaching the precinct.
The woman immediately ran back inside and asked police for assistance.
Detectives said Mcewen entered the vestibule and began pouring a flammable liquid over his entire body. Two police officers and a detective quickly entered the vestibule and tackled him to the ground before he could ignite the substance.
Mcewen was taken into custody and transported by a Nassau County Police Department ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation.
One Nassau County police officer was also transported to a hospital for injuries sustained while placing the defendant into custody. No other injuries were reported.
Mcewen is charged with Assault in the Second Degree, Attempted Arson in the Second Degree, and three counts of Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree.
Police said he will be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead when medically practical.
