MT. VERNON, IL — Two off-duty Mt. Vernon Police Officers were involved in an incident early Wednesday evening where a man was pouring gas on himself while standing on top of his parked car in the middle of an intersection.

Around 5pm one of the off duty officers on his way to work, observed a white Dodge Challenger with what is believed to be homemade signs taped or in some way attached to the car, stopped in the 42nd and Broadway intersection. The officer believed it to possibly be a broken down vehicle in need of assistance. However, the driver then exited the car, climbed to the roof, and began pouring what is believed to be gasoline or some sort of accelerating fuel on himself while standing atop his car. Mt. Vernon Police Chief Trent Page says the man attempted to ignite a lighter but high wind yesterday along with the fluid on the man’s hands, wouldn’t allow the lighter to ignite and ended up slipping from his grasp.

A second off-duty officer was in the area also on his way to work, heard the call on a portable radio and responded to the scene. The two MVPD officers pulled the man from the back of the vehicle after he had slipped off the roof and looked to possibly be making his way off the car.

No criminal charges are being filed so the man’s name is not being released by the Mt. Vernon Police Department. EMS was called to the scene to decontaminate the man from the fluid and he was taken to a local medical facility for treatment.