NYPD gives details about man who set self on fire outside courthouse where Trump trial is held
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Members of the New York City Police Department held a press conference Friday afternoon shortly after a man set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial.
Video Transcript
JEFFREY MADDREY: But at 1:30 this afternoon, right here in Collect Pond Park, which is directly opposite of a New York County Criminal Court at 100 Center Street, where the trial of former President Trump is currently taking place, we observe a male walk into the park. He walks into the center of the park. When he's in the park, he starts shuffling around his clothes. He opens up a book bag.
From the book bag, he takes numerous pieces of papers, pamphlets out. He throws the pamphlets throughout the park. And then he pulls out a canister and pours some kind of liquid on himself, a liquid we believe is an accelerant, and he lights himself on fire. The male, he takes a couple of steps while he's on fire, and then eventually he falls onto a police barrier and falls down to the ground.
He's on fire. Another area in the park where some of the accelerant spilled is also on fire. Civilians, court officers, members of the Police Department, they run into the park. They make efforts to put him out.
They use their coats. They use fire extinguishers. Eventually, FDNY responds. We're able to put extinguish the fire and from that point, we remove him to Cornell Burn Unit where, right now, he's there in critical condition.
JOESPH KENNY: So the male that's involved in this incident, his name is going to be Maxwell Azzarello. He's a male. He's born in 1987. His driver's license indicates that he's from St. Augustine, Florida.
What we know from speaking to other witnesses and family members is that he arrived in New York sometime earlier in the week. We have his car being in St. Augustine, Florida on the 13. So anywhere between the 13 and today he arrived. We spoke to family members today. They were unaware that he was even in New York.
