A 48-year-old man self-immolated in front of a Manhattan church early Thursday morning, police said.
Police said a witness called 911 to report that a man had self-immolated around 2:30 a.m. on the tree-lined corner of East 16th Street and Rutherford Place, where St. George's Episcopal Church is located.
The man, who was unconscious and unresponsive, was pronounced dead at the scene by responding paramedics.
His name has not yet been released, pending notification of his family.
It is not immediately clear how the man attempted to self-immolate, and police said they were continuing to investigate.
White sheets, crime scene tape and evidence markers could be seen just outside the church in the aftermath. It is at the intersection of Stuyvesant Park and several brownstone buildings.
