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Man Sets Himself On Fire Outside Trump Trial Court in New York
Man Sets Himself On Fire Outside Trump Trial Court in New York
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NYPD at scene
LiveLIVEMan sets himself on fire outside Trump trial court in New York
Play video Man Sets Himself On Fire Outside Trump Trial Court from BBC NewsVIDEO
Man Sets Himself On Fire Outside Trump Trial CourtBBC News
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With Nada Tawfik & Kayla Epstein reporting from court in New York
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Posted at 16:3216:32
Trump returns to courtroom
Trump returns to court
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Trump re-entered the courtroom moments ago.
The former president did not respond when reporters asked him about the man who set
himself on fire outside the courthouse.
Posted at 16:2916:29
After horrific fire incident, court resumes
Kayla Epstein
We were unsure how the trial might proceed after the fire incident happened outside
just an hour ago, but we are starting again now.
We're still expected to have a Sandoval hearing, which could give us some insight
into what prosecutors might ask Trump if he takes the witness stand.
Posted at 16:2316:23
Man was not targeting any groups
Police say the man was not targeting any people or any particular groups when he
lit himself on fire.
Authorities are currently combing through the man's social media. They say it
appears he did post something online about his plans.
Posted at 16:2016:20
Police say they had 'large security plan' for trial
Tarik Sheppard of the NYPD
BBCCopyright: BBC
Tarik Sheppard of the NYPDImage caption: Tarik Sheppard of the NYPD
Officers say they prepared extensively for the Trump trial and had "large security
plans".
They met with firefighters as a part of those plans, and the Fire Department and
Emergency Medical Services were in the area.
Officers responded to the fire within two minutes of it being reported. They said
the only delay is because they did not anticipate any "reason for anybody to have a
fire extinguisher on standby. Nobody knew that this guy was about to set himself on
fire".
Officials said earlier in the press conference that they would review their
security plan, but they remained confident about their approach and would institute
changes if necessary.
Firefighters intervene after a man person set himself on fire for an unknown reason
in front of the NY court where former US President Donald Trump's trial held, and
the police take precautions around the area in New York
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
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Posted at 16:1716:17
Police identify man behind fire incident as a Florida resident
Authorities identify the man who set himself on fire as Maxwell Azzarello, a male
from St Augustine, Florida. Azzarello was born in 1987, police say. That would make
him about 37-years-old.
Azzarello arrived in New York earlier this week, police say, adding that his family
was unaware he had traveled to New York.
Posted at 16:1616:16
Pamphlets were 'conspiracy based'
Police say the man threw pamphlets in the air before he set himself on fire.
Asked what was on the pamphlets, the officers say they appeared to be "conspiracy
based". They made claims like New York higher education institutions being "part of
the mob".
Posted at 16:1316:13
Man did not breach security, police say
Police say the man did not breach any security prior to setting himself on fire.
The park where the incident took place was open to the public.
Posted at 16:1316:13
Police describe how the incident unfolded
Chief Maddrey
BBCCopyright: BBC
Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey is now up. He says at around 13:30 local time
(18:30 BMT) this afternoon, there was a male that walked into the centre of the
park across the street from the courthouse where Donald Trump's trial is underway.
He then opens up a bookbag and takes out colourful pamphlets that he throws
throughout the park.
The man then took out a cannister filled with what is believed to be an flame
accelerant, and then lights himself on fire.
Once fully engulfed, the man took a few steps and fell to the ground.
Posted at 16:1116:11
People tried to put out fire with coats
Officials are telling reporters that people used coats and fire extinguishers to
try and put out the fire that engulfed the man.
Posted at 16:0816:08
NYPD gives update after man sets himself on fire
The police have just started to give an update on the situation that unfolded
outside the courthouse earlier.
You can watch it live by pressing the play button at the top of this page.
Court officials have not officially told the reporters covering the trial whether
they will be allowed back into the courtroom for the Sandoval hearing that Judge
Merchan is expected to hold today.
Most officials have been busy dealing with the fire incident outside the
courthouse.
Posted at 15:4215:42
NYPD update is moments away
We are about to hear from the New York Police Department with more details on the
incident.
They are scheduled to give an update at 14.45 local time (19:45 BST).
You can click the play above to watch the news conference live.
Posted at 15:3615:36
NYPD says 'investigation ongoing', will give update soon
The New York City Police Department told BBC News that the police "investigation is
ongoing" into the fire incident outside the Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump
is standing trial.
A police spokeswoman said that the NYPD responded to the incident after receiving a
911 call around 13:37 local time (18:37 BMT).
She said the man who lit himself on fire was taken to hospital in "critical
condition", and she added that there were "no additional safety concerns at this
time".
You will be able to watch live by pressing the play button at the top of this page.
Posted at 15:3115:31
'Don't do it': Reporter describes moment when man set himself on fire
Our reporter in New York, Nada Tawfik, describes the moment when a young man set
himself on fire in front of the court house where Donald Trump's historic trial was
underway.
Video content
Video caption: Someone screamed 'don't do it' before man set himself on fire - BBC
reporterSomeone screamed 'don't do it' before man set himself on fire - BBC
reporter
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Posted at 15:2815:28
Scene was out of a 'nightmare', witness says
Kayla Epstein
One witness says he was checking out the scene around the courthouse when he saw
the person set themselves on fire.
Dave, an older man from the Upper West Side, looked visibly shaken as he spoke to
the press. He asked we not use his last name or publish his image.
Dave says people were horrified and started screaming when they realised what was
happening.
Posted at 15:2415:24
Hospital says man is in 'critical condition'
The New York Fire Department reported that "an individual on fire" is in critical
condition.
Posted at 15:1915:19
First images from the scene of the fire
A police officer extingushes the last remaining flames after an unknown man set
himself on fire outside the courthouse where Donald Trump's hush-money trial is
under way.
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
A police officer extingushes the last remaining flames after an unknown man set
himself on fire outside the courthouse where Donald Trump's hush-money trial is
under way. The man threw colourful pamphlets before setting the fire.Image caption:
A police officer extingushes the last remaining flames after an unknown man set
himself on fire outside the courthouse where Donald Trump's hush-money trial is
under way. The man threw colourful pamphlets before setting the fire.
Investigators outside the scene where an unknown man set himself on fire.
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Investigators surround the sceneImage caption: Investigators surround the scene
First responders extinguished the flames of an unknown person outside of the
courthouse where Former President Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying
business records.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
First responders gather in the aftermath of a fireImage caption: First responders
gather in the aftermath of a fire
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Posted at 15:1615:16
Man has been at courthouse all week, witness says
We've just heard from Julie Berman, a witness and Manhattan resident who saw what
happened at court.
She says the man who set himself on fire has been at court all week carrying a
sign.
She says he threw papers in the air after dousing himself in some sort of liquid.
"The whole thing, it happened so fast, and it took my mind so long to catch up —
kind of like the earthquake, it took me like 20 seconds to figure out what was
going on," she says.
She says the man may have asked her to stop intervening or get away from him before
he lit himself on fire.
Berman says he reminded her of activists "in my youth in the 90s, when I was in my
20s".
Posted at 15:1015:10
Trump leaves courtroom after fire incident
Video content
Video caption: Trump leaves court as emergency situation unfolds outsideTrump
leaves court as emergency situation unfolds outside
As news of the man lighting himself on fire broke, Trump was in the courtroom.
Shortly after, he spoke to a Secret Service agent, and then left the courthouse,
video shows.
We are unsure of his whereabouts now, and the former president ignored questions
from the press.
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