Man who set himself on fire near Trump trial courthouse dies, police say
NEW YORK - The man who set himself on fire Friday near the courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
NYPD officials said early Saturday that the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital.
Officials identified the man as Max Azzarello who traveled to the city from Florida, likely to promote far-reaching conspiracy theories, according to police.
Video from FOX 5 NY showed the man engulfed in flames outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse around 1:30 p.m.
"Police! Police! There's a guy lighting himself on fire," a person is heard yelling in video taken at the scene.
Onlookers cower as a man sets himself on fire outside of the NYC courthouse where Trump trial jury selection was taking place.
A person could be clearly seen lying on the ground on fire. People then rushed over with a fire extinguisher and worked to bat the flames away. The person was then taken away on a stretcher, and police confirmed that the man is in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
People who witnessed the incident were visibly distressed.
Witness William Schoeffler said he was checking out the park where Trump supporters were talking when he saw a man cover himself in gas.
(FOX 5 NY photo)
"This guy just starts dousing himself with gas," he told FOX 5 NY. "He covered himself in enough gas that he just lit himself on fire."
Schoeffler said the man who lit himself on fire was previously spotted outside the courthouse this week and was sounding off conspiracy theories.
"I've never seen anything like it," Schoeffler said. "At that point, there's really nothing anyone can do, other than just hope that somebody has a fire extinguisher."
Authorities said they were reviewing the security protocols outside the courthouse.
"We are very concerned. Of course, we are going to review our security protocols," Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said.