According to witnesses, a guy lit himself on fire Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s historic hush-money trial was being held.
A witness on the site stated that he first heard the man fling pamphlets into the air, then saw him douse himself with a can and set himself on fire. “At that point, I said, ‘Oh shoot, what am I going to see?'” the witness explained to Reuters.
The witness, Dave, declined to disclose his last name and stated that the man burnt for several minutes.
“I see a totally charred human being,” a CNN reporter stated on TV.
A New York emergency official stated that a person was taken away on a stretcher after reportedly setting themselves on fire. The reason for the incident was unknown.
Other witnesses reported the man looked to be calm before dousing himself with liquid.
“It’s hard to even process in your brain,” said another witness, who did not want to be identified.
A Reuters witness reported that smoke persisted in the plaza shortly after the incident, and that a police officer sprayed a fire extinguisher on the ground. A flaming backpack and a gas can were seen.
Police swiftly cordoned off the area where the event occurred. Nearby, a brochure referred to “evil billionaires” and urged people to “expose this corruption.” The segment viewable to a Reuters witness made no reference of Trump.
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