Donald Trump Trial: Man Lights Himself on Fire Outside Courthouse During CNN’s Live Coverage

A man lighting himself on fire was captured on camera by CNN during the network’s live coverage of Donald Trump’s trial in New York City on Friday.

Though details are still emerging, the Associated Press reports that emergency crews rushed the individual away on a stretcher after extinguishing the blaze outside the court room where the jury had just been selected in Trump’s trial. It was a group effort to put out the fire, with multiple people seen rushing over to help contain it.

Laura Coates was reporting for CNN, visibly horrified by what she was seeing. “A man has now lit himself on fire outside of the courthouse in Manhattan where we are waiting for history to be made,” she said as the camera panned over to the terrifying scene. “We are watching multiple fires break out around his body. We have seen an arm … that’s been engulfed in total flames.”

UPDATE: The New York Police Department has identified the victim as Maxwell Azarello of St. Augustine, Fla. During a press conference on Friday, NYPD officials said that Azarello’s family was unaware he was in New York City. After throwing a number of pamphlets around the public park where he set himself on fire, he allegedly used an alcohol-based cleaning product as an accelerant and then lit a flame to set it ablaze. Per the New York Post, the pamphlets contained a link to a substack post titled, “I have set myself on fire outside the Trump Trial.”

Trump currently faces 34 felony counts after being indicted on charges of falsifying business records, including hush-money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to remain silent about their alleged extramarital affair in advance of his first run for president. Those payments were passed off as genuine business expenses by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen.

Watch footage of the disturbing incident, as broadcast by CNN, below: