New York City, NY: A person self-immolated on Friday afternoon outside of the location where former President Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial is taking place.
Sirens could be heard from inside the courthouse according to the people inside the court. The Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information (DCPI) for the New York Police Department (NYPD) has confirmed that first responders are providing assistance to an individual outside the courthouse.
During the broadcast, Coates described a horrifying sight of an arm consumed by intense flames. “There is total chaos…people are wondering right now if people are in danger.”
Friday marked the fourth day of Trump’s ongoing trial in Manhattan, where he faces allegations of making undisclosed payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
NYPD officials held a press conference on Friday to provide an update on the incident. They revealed that the individual involved has been identified as Maxwell Azzarello, hailing from St. Augustine, Florida.
NYPD officials reported that around 1:30 p.m. EST, a man was seen entering Collect Pond Park and proceeding towards the center. He is later observed removing multiple pamphlets from his backpack and dousing himself with an accelerant, before igniting himself. Azzarello was taken to a nearby hospital in a critical condition, according to the NYPD.
Multiple news networks, such as Fox News and CNN, have covered the incident where an individual was observed setting themselves on fire outside the courthouse last Friday.