A man set himself on fire on Friday, April 19, outside the court where Donald Trump is standing trial in Manhattan, New York police said, with officers rushing to extinguish the flames.
The full jury selection had just been completed when live television images suddenly turned to smoke gushing from what was reported to be a person on fire. A policeman could be seen hurrying with a fire extinguisher and CNN's reporter said there was a heavy stench of burning flesh and fuel.
"A male did light himself on fire outside of the Supreme Courthouse. We're still gathering details from the field," said a spokesman for the New York Police Department.
It was not clear whether the self-immolation had anything to do with Trump's case, but the gruesome incident occurred in a park opposite the 100 Centre Street courthouse, which has been used by authorities to corral protesters, both pro-Trump and anti-Trump, as well as well as by some members of the media. New York's police department had promised a major deployment to ensure the trial passes off safely, with the force's head of intelligence John Hart calling it a "major challenge."
The fire department did not respond to a request for comment, but media reported the man had been taken away for medical treatment.
TV reporters described the scene that unfolded moments after the full panel of 12 jurors and six alternates was selected for the trial of the former president in a hush money cover-up case. Trump's criminal trial, the first of a former president, is being conducted amid tight security in a 15th-floor courtroom swarming with Secret Service officers as well as court police.