A man who set himself ablaze outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial for hush money payments died of his injuries, New York City police confirmed. The incident, involving a Florida man named Maxwell Azzarello, unfolded around 1:30 PM, April 19 Collect Pond Park, which has become a focal point for media and protesters since the high-profile trial commenced.
Azzarello, 37, scattered pamphlets with conspiracy theories before pouring a liquid accelerant over himself and igniting the fatal blaze. A heavy presence of law enforcement officers and bystanders rushed to his aid, attempting to douse the flames with coats and fire extinguishers. After these effort., Azzarello succumbed to his critical injuries later that evening at the New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Officials reported that Azzarello had traveled from Florida to New York earlier in the week. His presence in the city seemed to be unnoticed by his family, who were reportedly unaware of his New York sojourn. Before the self-immolation, Azzarello made a brief social media post repeating the phrase “I love you,” and he had previously reached out to several news outlets to announce his planned action.
While the materials Azzarello distributed were described as conspiracy-laden, there was no immediate evidence suggesting his act was directly related to the Trump trial or that he targeted anyone else. A New York Times photographer captured an image of Azzarello holding a sign reading, “Trump is with Biden and they’re about to fascist coup us,” revealing the broader nature of his purported grievances.
Azzarello’s background included stints as an operations director for political campaigns and employment with Strong Towns, a nonprofit media advocacy group. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said police identified a vehicle that Azzarello may have used but were still working to locate it.
The self-immolation occurred shortly after the final jury selection in Trump’s trial, which is set to assess allegations of hush money payments during his 2016 presidential campaign. The trial is being closely monitored as it represents an unprecedented legal challenge for a former commander-in-chief.
The NYPD confirmed that in addition to Azzarello’s tragic death, four officers received minor injuries while responding to the emergency. The Fire Department had to deploy a larger extinguisher to finally put out the blaze, leaving a smoke-shrouded scene that shook witnesses and passersby alike.
Relevant articles:
– The man who set himself on fire outside the courthouse where Trump is on trial dies of his injuries,apnews.com, 04/21/2024
– Man dies after setting himself on fire near Trump trial courthouse in NYC, CBS News, Sun, 21 Apr 2024 00:38:59 GMT
– Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial and spouted conspiracy theories dies, Los Angeles Times, Sat, 20 Apr 2024 22:17:00 GMT
– Man dies after setting himself on fire outside Manhattan courthouse where Trump faces hush money case, NBC New York, Fri, 19 Apr 2024 21:59:03 GMT