Wild video shows man blast flamethrower from atop MTA bus in Brooklyn
Commuting in NYC is torcher!
A hot head with a flamethrower hopped on top of a city bus in Brooklyn and torched the air above as onlookers filmed and cheered — sparking outrage at the MTA and among police unions who say the bizarre display is the latest sign of urban decay.
The wild incident unfolded around 5:30 p.m. Nov. 8 on Putnam Avenue at the intersection with Franklin Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, the MTA confirmed.
Videos posted to social media show an unknown man on top of an ice cream truck before leaping to the roof of the B26 bus that had stopped at the intersection.
The man then fires off the flamethrower — as a crowd cheers, the videos show.
As the flammable liquid from the fire gun falls onto the bus, it briefly ignites on top of the roof, the video shows.
The crowd of onlookers records the stunt with their phones as the man sends the flames bursting into the night sky, according to the video.
Soon after the man started the dangerous stunt, a man — who appears to be the bus driver — emerges from the front door of the vehicle and watches the display, video shows.
The pyro meanwhile walks to the rear of the bus and unleashes a few streams of fire toward the street, briefly setting the ground alight, before hopping off the bus, the clip shows.
The stunt was part of a Wu-Tang tribute music video by local rapper Dupree G.O.D., according to his social media.
“’Wutang’ music video shoot was insane. It was a movie. It was f–king epic,” the relatively unknown rapper wrote on Instagram.
“Much everyone to all who came out (sic). We shut Franklin Avenue Down. With amazing energy. We are in this together. We The ILLest. Video coming,” he added.
Several members of the classic rap group did not return requests for comment.
MTA and City Hall confirmed there were no permits for the shoot.
The rapper, who did not respond for comment, invited people to join him at the corner for free ice cream, T-shirts and champagne for the video, his social media said.
“We don’t even need to say how absurd, dangerous and just plain stupid this was,” MTA spokesman Tim Minton said. “The reckless individual who torched over the top of an occupied bus put New Yorkers, including the bus operator, in life-threatening peril.”
The B26 bus had about 25 passengers aboard it at the time all of whom were moved to another bus at the next stop, the MTA said. No injuries were reported.
The NYPD said it was investigating the incident after the Sergeants Benevolent Association tweeted out a video of the incident.
“NYC is NOT safe YOU are being lied to,” the union raged in a since-deleted tweet.
No injuries were reported on the B26 bus and the 25 passengers were moved to another bus at the next stop, according to the MTA.