Man sets self on fire in Civic Center Park in downtown Denver

DENVER – Those enjoying a sunny day in a busy downtown Denver park bore witness to a terrifying scene as a man became engulfed in flame.

Paramedics rushed the man to a hospital after police say he set himself ablaze while being taken into custody in the middle of Civic Center Park.

Police said the man doused himself in an accelerant in the park, but a nearby off-duty Denver Police Department officer called for help. By the time officers arrived, he was doused in lighter fluid.

As officers were putting cuffs on the man, he successfully ignited the lighter fluid, becoming engulfed in flame in an attempt to take his own life. 

Police and witnesses worked together to extinguish the flames, saving the man's life and sending him to a nearby hospital. The man remains in critical condition. 

The arrest and fire remain under investigation, and a police presence in the park could be possible into the evening.