Man sets himself on fire outside Trump hush-money trial

Witnesses say the man, reported to have died afterwards, threw fliers in the air before dousing himself with an ignitable liquid.

A man set himself on fire Friday afternoon in a park across the street from the Manhattan courthouse where former president Donald Trump’s hush-money trial is taking place, New York Police Department officials said.

The man, identified as Max Azzarello, poured an alcohol-based accelerant from a canister over his body before lighting himself on fire, the officials said. The NYPD received a 911 call about the fire at 1.37pm, the officials said. He was taken to a nearby hospital in a critical condition, according to the officials.

He was was “declared deceased by hospital staff”, police told NBC News.

A man, identified as Max Azzarello, who police said set himself on fire Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush-money trial was taking place. Picture: Reuters/WSJ

The incident occurred while Trump was in court for the selection of alternate jurors in his criminal case, in which Manhattan prosecutors allege he falsified business records to cover up a payment to a porn star to buy her silence ahead of the 2016 election.

The courthouse and the surrounding area has been under increased security because of the trial. Media outlets, as well as pro- and anti-Trump protesters, have been camped in the park across from the courthouse.

Police, court officers and civilians used coats and fire extinguishers to put out the fire after Azzarello hit a police barricade and fell to the ground, according to officials. Azzarello, who is from Florida, travelled from his home state to New York earlier in the week, the officials said. Investigators were combing through his social-media accounts and believe he harboured conspiracy theories, according to the officials.

Before lighting himself on fire, Azzarello walked into the park, took colourful pamphlets out of a knapsack and threw them into the air, according to officials and eyewitnesses. The officials said the pamphlets contained conspiracy-based writings, including alleged Ponzi schemes and how local educational institutes were tied to the mob.

Officials said Azzarello was in a part of the park that was open to the public but that they were reassessing security around the courthouse.

“We’re very concerned,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said. “Of course we’re going to look at everything with the magnitude of what’s going on around right here.”

Julie Berman, a Manhattan resident, said she saw Azzarello with two signs – one about a Ponzi scheme and the other about President Biden and Trump being in cahoots together. Azzarello told her to get away, she said.

“I guess he thought I was going to stop him. It didn’t occur to me to stop him,” she said. “It happened so fast.”

Dow Jones Newswires