A Florida man set himself ablaze outside Manhattan Criminal Courthouse where the trial of former President Donald Trump is being held.
Police have announced that Maxwell Azzarello of St. Augustine is “currently intubated and in critical condition at the Weill Cornell Medicine — Burn Center,” NBC News reported.
Police said Azzarello traveled to New York earlier this week and his family did not know he was there.
His car was in St. Augustine on April 13, per the outlet.
On Thursday, the New York Times reported, he was seen holding various signs and shouted to reporters, “Biggest scoop of your life or your money back!” One of his signs claimed that Mr. Trump and President Biden were “about to fascist coup us.”
The incident Friday was captured on video since the area is saturated with media and onlookers.
According to Politico, Azzarello threw pamphlets into the air, doused himself with an unknown liquid accelerant and set fire to himself.
“The pamphlets appear to be propaganda-based, almost a conspiracy theory type of pamphlet. Some information in regards to [a] Ponzi scheme and the fact that some of our local educational institutes are fronts for the mob. So a little bit of a conspiracy theory going on here,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters, per NBC.
Both Officers and civilians ran to help Azzarello and put out the fire. They used coats and fire extinguishers, NYPD Chief of Department Jeff Maddrey said.
Four police officers suffered minor injuries from fire exposure, authorities said.
The incident was not expected to impact the trial much, as proceedings were expected to continue, court spokesperson Al Baker said.
“The entire court is impacted by this,” Baker said, per Politico. “The court officers rushed to help aid the man. One of them was injured. He was taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation. Everyone who works in this building every day, their heart goes out. … The judge himself has expressed concern for him. But in terms of the timing, the process — that is unchanged, the court proceeding will continue.”
Trump’s campaign released a statement on the incident.
“Not knowing the motivations behind this sickening situation, it’s difficult to make any definitive remarks, other than to say we are thankful that to the best of our present knowledge, nobody other than the individual in question was hurt,” national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Officers and civilians ran into the park and attempted to put out the flames using coats and fire extinguishers, NYPD Chief of Department Jeff Maddrey told reporters.
Four police officers were reported to have suffered minor injuries from fire exposure, authorities said.
