A man who set himself ablaze outside the New York City court where former US president Donald Trump is standing trial has died of his injuries, police said early Saturday.
Police had previously identified the man as Maxwell Azzarello from St. Augustine, Florida.
According to Yahoo News, the man who set himself on fire was identified as Maxwell Azzarello, 37, from St. Augustine, Fla., NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters.
The incident occurred in Collect Pond Park, a designated protest area across the street from the courthouse, which was open to the public, according to Police Chief Jeffrey B. Maddrey.
During a press briefing on Friday, police said Azzarello walked into the park, opened up a book bag and threw pamphlets around, then pulled out a canister, pouring what appeared to be an alcohol-based substance used for cleaning on his body and lit himself on fire. Police said they hadn’t received reports that Azzarello made any statements prior to setting himself alight.
“Civilians, court officers, members of the police department ran into the park, where they make efforts to douse the man by uing their coats and fire extinguishers,” Maddrey said. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. Four officers obtained minor injuries.
The man was rushed to treatment, but a spokesman for the New York Police Department confirmed to AFP early Saturday that the man had died, without offering further details.
Hearings in the Trump case resumed after lunch despite the incident. Trump declined to respond to questions about Azzarello as he returned to court after the break.
AFP