Man dies after setting himself on fire outside Trump trial
A man has died after he set himself on fire outside the New York court where Donald Trump’s criminal trial over alleged “hush money” paid to a former porn star will be heard. Warning: Graphic
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A man has died after he set himself on fire outside the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City where jury selection for former US President Donald Trump’s “hush money” trial was underway.
The full jury of 12 New Yorkers and six alternates had just been completed when the incident occurred as the Republican candidate for November sat on the 15th floor.
According to the New York Post, 37-year-old Max Azzarello of Florida, walked into the public park across the street from the downtown courthouse around 1.30pm local time (3.30am AEST), just as the jury was finalised in the historic case.
Once inside the park, which was surrounded by barricades for the Trump trial, Mr Azzarello took off his jacket and doused himself in what police believe was an alcohol-based accelerant used for cleaning.
“Somebody set themselves on fire,” one police officer was overheard saying at the scene, according to the New York Post.
Opening statements in the unprecedented criminal trial of the former president will be heard on Monday (local time) leaving the Republican presidential candidate facing weeks of hostile testimony that will overshadow his White House campaign.
Disturbing footage showed Mr Azzarello in a seated position while completely engulfed in flames — then his body on the ground as people rushed to help.
He was on fire for several minutes before civilians and emergency services used fire extinguishers to douse the flames, police sources told the New York Post.
Just prior to setting himself on fire, Mr Azzarello was said to have reached into his bag and pulled out a stack of colourful pamphlets that he then threw into the air with the heading, “I have set myself on fire outside the Trump Trial.”
In a rambling manifesto posted online before the ordeal, Mr Azzarello — who identified himself as an investigative researcher — said he had set himself on fire as an “extreme act of protest” over a “totalitarian con” and impending “apocalyptic fascist world coup.”
“I heard this clattering and it was these papers that he had flung up and they clattered to the ground,” a witness, only identified as Dave, told The New York Post.
“Then he pulled out a can and he poured it over himself. At that point, I thought ‘oh this could be awful’.”
“And after pouring himself with obviously something flammable he took out, I think, a lighter then he lit himself on fire,” he added. “It happened fast. He was up in flames and seemed determined.”
Mr Azzarello was rushed by emergency services to hospital where he died.
Those who jumped in to help douse the flames suffered minor injuries, officials said.
Police later collected the strewn pamphlets.
Meanwhile, according to the New York Post, court records had shown that Mr Azzarello had filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court in April 2023 against over 100 defendants — including the likes of Bill and Hillary Clinton, the country of Saudi Arabia, businessman Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, and Ross Perot.
The conspiracy-laced and meandering case — filed by Mr Azzarello, without a lawyer — alleged “an elaborate network of Ponzi schemes” dating back to the 1990s and continuing through 2023.
The lawsuit was thrown out last October when Mr Azzarello failed to follow up with required court filings.
TRUMP BLASTS GAG ORDER
Mr Trump blasted a gag order on him as jury selection was finalised on Friday (local time), upping the stakes as Judge Juan Merchan decides whether he should be punished for repeatedly breaching it.
Mr Trump – the presumptive Republican candidate for this year’s election – is banned from using his powerful media presence to attack witnesses, prosecutors and relatives of court staff during his trial.
While prosecutors have sought for him to be fined and held in contempt for breaching the order, Mr Trump fumed that it needed to be ripped up.
“I have to be released of the gag order. They’re taking away my constitutional rights to speak, and that includes speaking to you,” he told reporters.
“I have a lot to say to you, and I’m not allowed to say it.”
Mr Trump is on trial over 34 charges of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 (A$202,000) hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, silencing her claim that they had a brief affair on the eve of the 2016 presidential election against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
During the trial’s first week that was dominated by the arduous jury selection process, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office sought for Mr Trump to be fined $3000 (A$4700) for three breaches of the gag order.
Prosecutor Christopher Conroy later told the court that Mr Trump had violated the order seven more times.
“It’s ridiculous … It has to stop,” he said.
He said the “most disturbing” example was Mr Trump sharing a quote from a Fox News host who said: “They are catching undercover liberal activists lying to the judge in order to get on the Trump jury.”
Mr Conroy also pointed to other examples from Mr Trump’s social media accounts including a story he shared which called his former lawyer Michael Cohen – who arranged the payment to Ms Daniels and is now a key prosecution witness – a “serial perjurer”.
“These statements all violate your order,” the prosecutor told the judge.
After the gruelling jury selection was finalised on Friday (local time), Judge Merchan announced that opening statements in Mr Trump’s unprecedented criminal trial would start Monday (local time).
GRUELLING JURY SELECTION
The difficulty of choosing impartial jurors, who must also be able to set aside as much as two months of their time, has been clear throughout the selection process this week.
Potential jurors were this week grilled by prosecution and defence lawyers about their media habits, political donations, education and whether they have attended a pro- or anti-Trump rally.
Many potential panelists were excused after saying they could not be objective.
Two women in the pool of dozens of ordinary New Yorkers being vetted for the final jury slots Friday burst into tears as they answered probing questions from attorneys.
“I’m sorry. I thought I could do this,” said one who was quickly released by Merchan.
“This is so much more stressful than I thought it was going to be.”
The other, who had already been sworn in, pulled out because she feared the media attention and because her identity had been revealed.
One man was let go following doubts over the accuracy of his answers during questioning.
To protect the anonymity of those randomly selected for jury service, Judge Merchan asked reporters to stop providing physical descriptions of jurors and not to identify where they work.
A unanimous verdict will be required to convict Mr Trump, who has been ordered by the judge to attend each day of the trial.
If convicted, he could face prison but would more likely be fined.
Originally published as Man dies after setting himself on fire outside Trump trial
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