Man sets himself on fire outside New York courthouse where Trump trial is taking place

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s historic secret trial was being held as jury selection concluded, but officials said he did not appear to have been aiming for Triumph.

The man burned for several minutes in view of the television cameras installed in front of the courthouse, where the first criminal trial against a former US president is being held.

“It was on fire for quite a while,” one witness, who did not want to give his name, told reporters. “It was pretty horrible.”

Authorities said the man, in his 30s, survived and was in critical condition at a hospital.

Witnesses said the man pulled pamphlets out of a backpack and threw them into the air before dousing himself with a liquid and setting himself on fire. One of those pamphlets included references to “evil billionaires,” but parts that were visible to a Reuters witness did not mention Trump.

The New York Police Department said the man, whom they identified as Max Azzarello of St. Augustine, Florida, did not appear to be targeting Trump or other people involved in the trial.

“Right now we’re labeling him as some sort of conspiracy theorist, and we’ll go from there,” Tarik Sheppard, deputy commissioner of the Police Department, said at a news conference.

In an online manifesto, a man using that name said he set himself on fire and apologized to friends, witnesses and first responders. The publication warns of “an apocalyptic fascist coup” and criticizes cryptocurrencies and American politicians, but does not single out Trump in particular.

A smell of smoke lingered in the square shortly after the incident, according to a Reuters witness, and a police officer sprayed the ground with a fire extinguisher. A smoking backpack and a can of gasoline were visible.

The heavily police-guarded downtown Manhattan courthouse drew crowds of protesters and spectators on Monday, the first day of the trial, although the crowds have since thinned.

JURY SELECTION COMPLETED

The shocking development came shortly after jury selection for the trial was completed, clearing the way for prosecutors and defense attorneys to make opening statements Monday in a case stemming from money paid to a porn star for her silence. . The court adjourned later that afternoon.

The 12 jurors, along with six alternates, will consider evidence in a trial for the first time to determine whether a former U.S. president is guilty of breaking the law. Prosecutors intend to call at least 20 witnesses, according to Trump’s defense attorney, Susan Necheles. Trump could testify on his own behalf, in a risky move that would leave him open to cross-examination.

The jury is made up of seven men and five women, mostly employed in white-collar professions: two corporate lawyers, a software engineer, a speech therapist and an English teacher. Most are not native New Yorkers, but come from across the United States and from countries such as Ireland and Lebanon. The alternates, who will also hear the case, are reserved in case any of the jurors have to withdraw due to illness or some other cause.

Trump is accused of covering up a $130,000 payment his then-lawyer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says they had a decade earlier.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and denies any such encounter with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

Trump has also pleaded not guilty in three other criminal cases, but this is the only one that is certain to go to trial before November 1. 5, when the Republican politician intends to confront Democratic President Joe Biden again.

A conviction would not prevent him from holding office.

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(Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jack Queen in New York and Andy Sullivan in Washington; additional reporting by Cynthia Osterman; writing by Andy Sullivan; editing by Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis and Jonathan Oatis)