NEW YORK – A man self-immolated Friday outside a New York City courthouse where jurors were being selected for former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial, police said.
Authorities identified the man as Maxwell Azzarello, a man in his 30s from Florida. He was in critical condition at the hospital Friday afternoon. He later died from his injuries.
Man dies after self-immolation
Updated April 19th at 8:05pm EDT: Maxwell Azzarello, 37, died Friday night at a hospital from his injuries, according to the New York Times. New York City police confirmed his death early Saturday morning, the Washington Post and Associated Press reported.
Man throws ‘conspiracy theory’ pamphlet before setting himself on fire
Updated April 19th at 3:35pm EDT: Witnesses and police said Azzarello threw a pamphlet into the air before immolating himself across the street from the courthouse where jurors for the Trump trial were being selected.
“The pamphlet appeared to be based on propaganda and appeared to be a conspiracy theory pamphlet,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney. That included “some information about pyramid schemes and the fact that some local educational institutions are fronts for the mob,” he added.
Kenney pointed to Azzarello’s social media posts before he self-immolated Friday afternoon. His online posts and profile were thoroughly investigated by police.
As President Trump’s trial continues, authorities are reviewing security procedures outside the courthouse. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday morning.
The identity of the man who committed suicide by self-immolation has been revealed
Updated April 19th at 3:25pm EDT: The man who self-immolated outside the New York City courthouse where President Trump is being tried has been identified as Maxwell Azzarello, a man in his 30s from Florida, police said.
Authorities are combing Azzarello’s social media accounts. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney said Azzarello appeared to have posted online about the Trump trial Friday afternoon before going near the courthouse.
Investigators believe Azzarello doused himself with an accelerant before setting himself on fire. Kenney described it as “an alcohol-based substance used for cleaning.”
Four police officers sustained minor injuries in the fire.
Updated April 19th at 3:20pm EDT: Four people suffered minor injuries in a fire outside a courthouse Friday afternoon, New York City Fire Department Chief Laura Kavanaugh said.
Three New York City police officers and a courthouse police officer were injured.
“They’re all healthy and stable,” Kavanaugh said.
Man who self-immolated in front of court is in critical condition
Updated April 19th at 3:15pm EDT: The man, a Florida resident who arrived in New York earlier this week, was hospitalized in critical condition after setting himself on fire outside the courthouse on Friday afternoon.
Police said they saw a man from St. Augustine walk into Collect Pond Park, across from the courthouse, around 1:30 p.m. EDT.
Original report: CNN reported that the incident occurred as reporters gathered outside the courthouse to cover Trump’s trial. On air, reporter Laura Coates said it appeared the man had attempted self-immolation.
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According to the New York Times, the man forced the victim to drink the liquid around 1:35 p.m. at Collect Pond Park, across the street from the courthouse. The newspaper said he was in an area restricted to Trump supporters.
It was not immediately clear what motivated the man. A witness, Manhattan resident Julie Berman, told The Washington Post that she held a sign saying President Trump and President Joe Biden were working together to orchestrate a “coup” and another about a “pyramid scheme.” He said that he was She said the man doused her with liquid and threw the flyer into the air, then doused her with liquid again and told her to come back before lighting it with her lighter.
“It happened so fast that it took my brain a long time to catch up,” she told the Post.
After the fire was extinguished, emergency services rushed the man to the hospital on a stretcher, the Associated Press reported. He was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition, the New York City Fire Department told the Times.
The incident occurred shortly after all 12 jurors and six alternates were selected to deliberate in Trump’s hush money trial. Opening statements in the case are scheduled to begin Monday.
Check back for more on this developing story.
