APD spokesperson Lt. Dave Parker says 28-year-old Harold Finger III ignited himself during a disturbance around 8:33 p.m. Tuesday. Officers found him badly burned at an apartment on the 200 block of North Klevin Street.
Both Finger's family and an initial news release from Parker described Finger as a mixed martial arts fighter, but the owner of the Alaska Fighting Championship says Finger has never been registered as an MMA fighter in the state.
Witnesses told police Finger became angry while speaking on the phone with an acquaintance after getting out of jail for one week. He then allegedly punched and kicked a 34-year-old woman in the face and head while wearing leather gloves with hard plastic knuckles.
"(They are) very simliar to brass knuckles in the damage they can do." Parker said. "The witnesses said as he walked away from her, as she was laying on the floor, that he hit her with his foot as he left."
The victim and two other women living at the apartment fled to a a bedroom with one of the women, Finger's sister, holding her 6-year-old son.
Finger said he was not going back to jail, then took a can of Prestone starting fluid and doused the door frame and his upper body -- before he grabbed the child.
The women were able to free the boy before Finger used a lighter to ignite himself, bursting into flames. One of the women extinguished the flames with a jacket.
Finger's sister, who did not want her name released, said she was afraid Finger was going to hurt her son.
"I would have killed him. I would have done anything to save my son." Finger's sister said.
Finger was taken to a local hospital for severe burns on his upper torso, face, and head. He faces charges of first-degree and second-degree assault as well as reckless endangerment, with a no-bail arrest warrant.
According to APD, Finger will be served with the warrant when he is physically able to be taken into custody.
Contact Rebecca Palsha
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify details on Finger's status as an MMA fighter.
