Meanwhile, full jury selected Friday afternoon
1 of 4 | Emergency personnel on Friday assess the scene where a man set himself on fire at Collect Pond Park, outside Manhattan Criminal Court, where former president Donald Trump was attending jury selection for his criminal trial on Friday. Photo by Sarah Yenesel/EPA-EFE
As TV news networks were reporting live, a man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York City courthouse where former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial is underway. A full jury was just seated when the incident occurred.
It happened as CNN anchor Laura Coates was reporting outside the courthouse. She first said there was an active shooter before quickly correcting that to say a man had set himself on fire. Advertisement
According to the New York Times, the man doused himself with a liquid around 1:35 p.m. in Collect Pond Park across the street from the courthouse. As bright orange flames engulfed him, witnesses screamed.
Some people rushed to try to help before police officers rushed over and put out the flames.
The man threw pamphlets into the air before he set himself on fire, according to a witness.
The man was at a nearby park in an area reserved for Trump supporters when he apparently set himself on fire.
His motive was not known. He was badly burned and taken away from the scene on a stretcher.
According to reports, police ID’d the man as Maxwell Azzarello of St. Augustine, Fla., and said he is intubated and in critical condition at the Weill Cornell Medicine’s burn center. Advertisement
The event came at about the same time Friday afternoon when a full jury had been selected in Trump’s criminal hush-money trial.
Judge Merchan granted lawyers on both sides an additional five minutes of questioning time with potential jurors Friday.
With jury selection complete, Merchan was set to hear from prosecutor Alvin Bragg’s team Friday during a Sandoval hearing, a proceeding to inform defendant Trump regarding the scope of cross-examination questions he might face if he testifies.
But in light of what happened outside the courtroom, it’s unclear whether the trial can proceed.
In a court filing, Bragg’s office said if Trump testifies he can expect to be questioned on the $464 million civil business fraud judgment against him, and the $88 million liability court findings for sexual abuse and defamation Trump committed against E. Jean Carroll.
Prosecutors said they want to ask questions about those cases “to impeach the credibility of the defendant” if Trump testifies.
A full 12-person jury and one alternate juror were sworn in Thursday.
Trump is charged with 34 felonies for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to prevent the story from impacting Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. He has pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts. Advertisement
If Friday’s existing poll of jurors fails to produce the full slate of six alternates, a new pool of 96 potential jurors will be called to court Friday.
