Fire As A Weapon for Murder: A Retired California Cop’s Experience With Trauma Few Are Prepared For. When most people think about murder, they imagine firearms or knives. Rarely do they consider fire itself as the weapon. Yet according to retired law enforcement veteran Charles “Chuck” Sherman, fire is one of the most brutal and psychologically devastating methods of killing, not only for victims, but for every Cop forced to witness its aftermath. The Podcast is available and shared for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and most major podcast platforms.
Drawing from decades of Retired California Police Experience, Sherman now shares his story publicly through a Podcast and across platforms like their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LawEnforcementTalkRadioShow">Facebook</a>, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify, <a href="https://medium.com/@letradioshow">Medium</a> and other social media platforms. He is hoping to spark conversations about officer Trauma, training gaps, and a form of violence many people, including police are unprepared to face. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LawEnforcementTalkRadioShow">Facebook </a> , Instagram , LinkedIn , <a href="https://medium.com/@letradioshow"> Medium</a> and other social media platforms.
“People don’t realize fire can be used as a weapon just like a gun,” Sherman said. “And when you see it firsthand, it changes you.”  Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like <a href="https://medium.com/@letradioshow" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Medium </a> , <a href="https://lawenforcementtalkradio.blogspot.com"> Blogspot </a> and Linkedin .
Understanding Fire As A Weapon for Murder
Arson is legally defined as the willful and deliberate act of setting fire to or charring property. While commonly associated with buildings, arson can also involve vehicles, boats, forests, or other property. The crime is typically charged as a felony, with harsher penalties when human life is endangered. Fire As A Weapon for Murder: A Retired California Cop’s Experience With Trauma Few Are Prepared For. Available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and most major Podcast networks.
In some cases, arson is committed for insurance fraud or to conceal crimes such as burglary or homicide. When a death occurs, prosecutors may pursue manslaughter or murder charges.
But Sherman emphasizes that arson statistics only tell part of the story.
“Quite often people die in building fires,” he explained. “But there are also cases where someone is intentionally set on fire. That’s homicide and it happens more than people think.”
Each year in the United States, deaths involving fire include accidents, suicides involving self-immolation, and murders where fire becomes the primary weapon.
A Veteran Officer Caught Off Guard
At the time of the incident that would leave a lasting mark on his career, Sherman was a recently promoted Police Sergeant with years of experience behind him. He had already handled violent crimes, major investigations, and countless critical incidents. Fire As A Weapon for Murder: A Retired California Cop’s Experience With Trauma Few Are Prepared For. Look for The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
Nothing prepared him for this call.
While on duty, Sherman was alerted by a citizen to a violent crime unfolding nearby. Arriving on scene, he discovered a man who had been doused with a flammable liquid and intentionally set on fire.
“I caught the call on view after someone flagged me down,” Sherman recalled. “Within seconds I realized this was something completely different from anything I’d handled before.”
Despite decades of training, Sherman says the moment exposed a serious gap in law enforcement preparation.
“We train for weapons, tactics, and survival,” he said. “But almost nobody trains you for the emotional impact of seeing someone burned alive.”
A Career of Service and an Unexpected Reality
Sherman’s law enforcement career spanned approximately thirty years. He began as a Detention Officer with the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, serving about a decade before joining the Bakersfield Police Department as a full-time officer.
During his seventeen years with Bakersfield Police, he worked as a detective, field training officer, and academy coordinator before promoting to Sergeant. Later, he continued public service as an investigator with the Kern County District Attorney’s Office until 2022. Fire As A Weapon for Murder: A Retired California Cop’s Experience With Trauma Few Are Prepared For. Available for free on their website and streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and other podcast platforms.
By every professional measure, Sherman was seasoned and experienced.
Yet he says nothing in his background prepared him for what he encountered that day.
“You think experience prepares you for everything,” he said. “It doesn’t.”
The Hidden Trauma Police Carry
Deaths involving fire are far more common than many Americans realize. Police officers regularly encounter fatal fires, whether accidental, suicidal, or criminal, yet many departments provide limited training on handling the psychological aftermath. It is discussed across News platforms and shared on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Apple, and Spotify, where true crime audiences continue to get their content.
According to Sherman, the trauma can be immediate and long-lasting.
“It hits every sense at once, sight, smell, sound,” he said. “Your brain doesn’t forget that.”
Many officers quietly struggle after such incidents, even while continuing daily duties.
“You go from something horrific straight to the next call,” Sherman explained. “There’s rarely time to process what you just experienced.” Fire As A Weapon for Murder: A Retired California Cop’s Experience With Trauma Few Are Prepared For. You can find the show on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn, as well as read companion articles and updates on Medium, Blogspot, YouTube, and even IMDB.
He believes fire-related deaths are among the most frequent yet least discussed sources of officer trauma nationwide.
When Support Falls Short
Sherman says the incident was shocking enough on its own, but what followed left an equally lasting impression. The criminal sentence handed down to the murderer surprised many involved in the case, raising questions about how fire-related homicides are viewed compared to other forms of murder.
Even more troubling to Sherman was what he describes as a lack of compassion from leadership afterward.
“Sometimes you expect understanding from your own organization,” he said. “And sometimes it just isn’t there.”
The experience reinforced his belief that law enforcement agencies must address mental health support as seriously as operational training. Fire As A Weapon for Murder: A Retired California Cop’s Experience With Trauma Few Are Prepared For. Free on their website and streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and other podcast platforms.
Murder Beyond Guns and Knives
Under U.S. law, murder is defined as the unlawful killing of another person with “malice aforethought,” meaning intent or conscious disregard for human life. First-degree murder involves premeditation, while second-degree murder involves intentional killing without planning. Manslaughter differs by involving reckless or emotionally provoked actions rather than deliberate intent.
While public perception often centers on shootings or stabbings, Sherman says fire-related killings reveal another reality of violent crime.
“Fire is slow, painful, and terrifying,” he said. “It’s one of the cruelest ways someone can take a life.”
The City Behind the Story
Sherman’s career unfolded in Bakersfield, California, the county seat of Kern County and a major agricultural and energy-producing region in the southern San Joaquin Valley. With a population exceeding 400,000 residents, the Bakersfield Police Department serves a large and diverse urban community with more than 590 sworn officers and professional staff. Fire As A Weapon for Murder: A Retired California Cop’s Experience With Trauma Few Are Prepared For. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
In recent years, the city has seen encouraging reductions in violent crime, including a drop in murders from 60 in 2021 to 26 in 2024, along with a significant decrease in shootings.
But statistics rarely capture the emotional impact carried by first responders.
Turning Experience Into Awareness
Today, Sherman shares his experiences through the interview on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, it's social media, and long-form conversations online, using modern platforms to reach audiences who consume News in new ways.
His goal is simple: increase awareness about the realities officers face and encourage departments to improve training and mental health support.
“Cops are expected to handle the worst moments of humanity,” Sherman said. “But we’re still human beings absorbing trauma every day.”
By speaking openly, Sherman hopes conversations about Fire As A Weapon for Murder will expand beyond criminal justice discussions to include officer wellness, compassion, and preparation. Fire As A Weapon for Murder: A Retired California Cop’s Experience With Trauma Few Are Prepared For. Available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and most major Podcast networks.
Because long after the flames are extinguished, the psychological scars can remain.
“Some calls stay with you forever,” he said. “And this was one of them.”
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Background song Hurricane is used with permission from the band <a href="http://darkhorseflyer.com/"> Dark Horse Flyer. </a>
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Fire As A Weapon for Murder: A Retired California Cop’s Experience With Trauma Few Are Prepared For.
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