In a shocking and harrowing incident on Friday afternoon near the Lower Manhattan courthouse where jurors were being selected for the trial of former President Donald J. Trump, a man set himself on fire in Collect Pond Park. The man, identified as Max Azzarello, 37, of St. Augustine, Fla., doused himself with accelerant and lit a flame, engulfing himself in bright orange flames. Despite efforts from onlookers and the arrival of dozens of police officers to extinguish the fire, he was taken to the hospital in critical condition by the New York Fire Department.
Witnesses described the scene as surreal and chaotic, with Mr. Azzarello tossing pamphlets containing anti-government conspiracy theories into the air before setting himself on fire. The incident shocked and startled bystanders, including Fred Gates who initially thought it was a prank until he saw the flames and Gideon Oliver, a civil rights lawyer, who initially mistook the smoke for a fire set by pro-Trump protesters. The trial schedule at the courthouse was not affected, although one court officer required hospitalization due to smoke inhalation.
As Mr. Azzarello’s actions unfolded, the park was filled with screams and shouts as the flames consumed him and he collapsed. The motivations behind his drastic and self-destructive act remain unclear, but the shocking incident left a lasting impact on those who witnessed it near the courthouse where the Trump trial was taking place. The aftermath of the incident highlighted the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for authorities to address the underlying issues that led to such a dramatic and tragic event.
