A man set himself on fire outside a New York courthouse where Donald Trump was on trial.

In a news release, the New York Police Department (NYPD) named the man as Maxwell Azzarello of St. Augustine, Florida. He is in critical condition at the hospital’s burn center.

The incident took place at Collect Pond across from Manhattan Criminal Court, where Trump is on trial on charges he covered up payments to women who said they had affairs with him.

Police said he doused himself in accelerant and threw colorful pamphlets into the air promoting conspiracy theories. The pamphlets claimed that New York institutions of higher education were “part of the mob” and a Ponzi scheme.

Members of the public, police and court staff battled to put out the blaze as it engulfed him, wearing coats as they tried to extinguish the blaze. Three police officers and a court official suffered minor injuries.

NYPD Commissioner Jeffrey Madre told reporters: “While he was in the park, he started dragging his clothes around. He took out many paper pamphlets from his bag and threw them around the park. at.

“He then took out a can and poured some sort of liquid over himself. We believe a liquid was an accelerant and he set himself on fire.

“The man took a few steps while on fire and eventually fell against a police barricade and fell to the ground. He was on fire.”

The video showed Mr. Azzarillo lying on his back on the sidewalk with his lower body on fire. Someone then sprayed a fire extinguisher at him and the fire appeared to be put out.

“Civilians, court officers, members of the police department, they ran into the park. They were trying to get him out with coats and fire extinguishers,” Sheriff Madre said.

Mr. Azzarillo, who was born in 1987, was loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher and taken away.

The press conference was told he had posted about the action on social media before taking action. He arrived in New York this week, and officials said the family they spoke to had no idea he was in New York.

Friday’s incident occurred after jury selection concluded for the trial of 12 jurors and six alternates. CNN was broadcasting live outside, with anchor Laura Coates telling viewers she could “smell the burning flash.”

“I saw a completely burned man,” Coates reported, noting that the man was still moving while the fire was on.

Someone at the scene reportedly shouted: “Don’t do this” before the man set himself on fire, according to a BBC reporter who was present.this New York Times Reports said the heat of the flames could be felt a hundred feet away.

One witness told Reuters he first heard the man throwing pamphlets into the air and then saw him pour water from a can and set himself on fire.

“At that point, I said, ‘Oh my God, what am I going to see?’” witness Dave told Reuters.

An image of the brochure shows one of the lines: “Our only goal: to abolish our criminal government and replace it with one that works for everyone.”

The NYPD said the motive behind the man’s actions was unclear.

Trump’s campaign issued a statement after the fire, offering “condolences to the traumatized witnesses.”

Its campaign’s national secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said: “Without knowing the motivations behind this disgusting situation it is difficult to make any definite comment other than to say we are grateful , as far as we know currently, in addition to the injured personnel.”

She added: “Today is more proof that our country is in deep trouble…Make America great again.”

During lulls in proceedings, Trump vehemently denounced the case on social media or on television cameras in the hallways, calling it a politically motivated “witch hunt.”