A man who set himself on fire outside of the court where Donald Trump is on trial has died, police say.
Max Azzarello, a troubled figure known for his conspiracy theories, passed away on Friday night after setting himself ablaze in a Manhattan park, per Sky News.
The incident occurred just across the street from the ongoing hush money trial involving former President Donald Trump, according to police reports.
Azzarello, a 37-year-old resident of Florida, succumbed to severe burns sustained during the incident at Collect Pond Park.
Eyewitnesses were left horrified as Azzarello, described as a "conspiracy theorist" and "investigative researcher," tossed pamphlets, including a link to his Substack newsletter, into the air before dousing himself in fuel and igniting the flames.
In a manifesto posted on his Substack page, Azzarello expressed his motives for the extreme act, stating: "This extreme act of protest is to draw attention to an urgent and important discovery: We are victims of a totalitarian con, and our own government (along with many of their allies) is about to hit us with an apocalyptic fascist world coup."
After the incident, law enforcement swiftly responded to the scene, and Azzarello was rushed to a nearby hospital's burn unit in critical condition. He passed away around 10:30PM that night, as confirmed by police sources.
Azzarello's actions come amidst a backdrop of prior legal troubles. Reports indicate he had been arrested three times in Florida, including charges of disturbing the peace and property damage last August, per the New York Post.
Police records also noted concerns about his mental state, listing him as suicidal and unemployed.
Witnesses to the incident described the harrowing scene, with one individual, William Schoeffler, recalling the moment.
"He was just standing there, and after a minute hit the ground. By the time the cops got there, all of the fuel had burnt off of his body, and you could see his skin," Schoeffler recounted. "He didn’t make too much noise, he was very quiet. Pretty horrifying."
Another witness, Julie Berman, told BBC News: "It was hot, and it didn't make a lot of sense. The whole thing happened so fast... it took me like 20 seconds to figure out what was going on."
Three NYPD officers and one court officer sustained minor injuries as they tried to extinguish the flames.
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