Smoker in US refuses to put out cigarette, gets sprayed with fire extinguisher

He didn't expect the man to do it.

A smoker in Utah ignored a man's request to put out his cigarette and even egged him on when he brought out a fire extinguisher. So he got sprayed right in the face.

"I'm still in shock and awe. I feel dizzy, kind of shaken up that something like this could actually happen," said Jon Bird.

He was taking a smoke break near Gallivan Center on Sept 20 when Alex Jamison, the owner of two nearby eateries, asked him to stop because he was in a non-smoking area.

When Bird continued to smoke, Jamison confronted him with a fire extinguisher.

Their exchange was recorded by Bird's girlfriend, who could be heard asking "Are you really going to spray him with that?"

The smoker took another puff and said: "Do it."

"I'm going to put out the cigarette," Jamison said before spritzing Bird in the face with the fire extinguisher.

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The police were called to the scene but Jamison left before they arrived.

After inhaling the chemicals in the fire extinguisher, Bird complained of shortness of breath and headaches and headed to a hospital the next day for a checkup.

A video clip of the incident posted on Facebook on Sept 21 has been viewed over 84,000 times, with many users commenting that Jamison had overreacted.

He later apologised for his actions, writing in a statement, "Well I'll say that I'm not proud of my behaviour, I let myself get egged on and I overreacted."

"I certainly owe the other person involved an apology and would like to make it right with him however I need to. I did not mean to cause him any harm."

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Jamison added he was trying to protect customers by asking others not to smoke near his business establishments.

Under Utah laws, smoking is not allowed within 25 feet (7.6m) of a public building's door, window, or air vent.

Bird, however, claimed that he was not standing in a non-smoking area, and had approval from the building's security personnel.

The smoker has engaged a lawyer and police officials said they are investigating the incident.

He may have snuffed the cigarette, but Jamison may soon find out that lawsuits are not as easy to stub out.

lamminlee@asiaone.com