»On the non-lethal application of beanbags

I'm frankly quite glad that the police subdued, rather than killed, the deranged man who was setting fires in our local (chain) drugstore

Police on Saturday arrested an incoherent man whom authorities said tried to set several items on fire inside a pharmacy before attempting to hold police at bay with a crude flamethrower.

The man, whom police did not identify, rushed the counter at Walgreens, 499 Haight St., at 11:15 a.m. and knocked medicine bottles from the shelves, police said. He then doused several items, including a display of teddy bears, with lighter fluid and started a small fire, said San Francisco police Sgt. Dan Linehan.

When police arrived, the man attempted to ignite one of the bears and throw it at the officers, then made a primitive flamethrower by spraying the liquid through a flame, Linehan said. Officers then shot the man with a nonlethal beanbag shotgun and handcuffed him.

The suspect was arrested and transported to San Francisco General Hospital. One officer was slightly injured when he was bitten by the suspect during the scuffle. He was being held Saturday night on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer, arson and burglary.