Man accused of trying to set girlfriend on fire

Tue., Aug. 31, 2004

Thomas Clouse Staff writer

A Spokane man was ordered to remain in jail on a $250,000 bond for allegedly dousing his girlfriend with lighter fluid and attempting to set her on fire during a dispute over religion.

Christopher M. Carter, 23, appeared Monday before Court Commissioner Brad Chinn on the charge of first-degree assault/domestic violence. Prosecutors asked for a $100,000 bond, but Chinn more than doubled it to $250,000.

“There are three felony assaults involved in this,” Chinn said as he read the police report. “It is a bizarre set of circumstances here, to say the least.”

According to Spokane police, officers responded at 12:30 a.m. Sunday to an apartment at 2015 W. 10th after witnesses said a woman was being threatened by a man with a knife.

The girlfriend told police she and Carter argued about religion after returning home from a tavern. She said Carter started spraying the bed with butane, which is used to refill lighters, police said in a news release.

Carter set fire to the blanket with a lighter, but the girlfriend was able to extinguish the flames, police said. Carter then sprayed the fluid on the girlfriend and started to light it, but she yelled to her friend to call the police and Carter left the apartment, police said.

The release said the women followed Carter outside. He pulled a knife and chased his girlfriend, police said. When she slipped on the grass, Carter approached her and started swinging the knife, according to police.

The friend knocked away Carter’s hand and got between the girlfriend and Carter, who then walked away, police said.

A few moments later, police arrived and saw Carter walking down a nearby alley. He was carrying a folding knife and a butane container, according to police. The girlfriend did not require medical attention, police said.

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