Man apparently sets self on fire outside of New York Trump trial

A man apparently set himself on fire outside of the Manhattan courthouse where former United States President Donald Trump is standing trial on criminal charges for falsifying business records.

Witnesses reported the man was covered in flames outside of the courthouse on Friday afternoon. Inside, the fourth day of the Trump trial was unfolding, with jury selection concluding.

A correspondent for CNN was reporting live on air when the incident occurred at a park across the street.

“There is chaos that is happening,” she said. “I can smell the burning of agent used.”

“We now have officers removing their coats, trying to surround his body to engulf him from further going into flames,” she said. “People are climbing over the barricade to try to separate the public from this man.”

A video showed the man still in flames and twitching on the concrete as a police officer rushed over with a fire extinguisher.

Politico reporter Emily Ngo said that police appeared to initially have trouble reaching the man due to barricades around the park.

There has been massive security at the trial as Trump faces felony charges related to hush money payments he allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Reporters from across the world have been staked out at the courthouse during the trial.

“very scary, active scene,” Ngo wrote on X.