Man who self-immolated outside new york city Officials said he was pronounced dead at the courthouse where former President Trump’s hush money trial was being held.
Maxwell Azzarello, 37, of St. Augustine, Florida, died Friday night of severe burns he set on fire earlier in the day in Collect Pond Park near the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse. .
Azzarello was pronounced dead by hospital staff around 10:30 p.m., an NYPD spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Around 1:30 p.m., Azzarello searched his backpack, threw numerous pamphlets into the air, then poured an accelerant on his body and lit a lighter in front of witnesses. The pamphlet contains a link to a Substack page that is “propaganda-based” and promotes far-reaching conspiracy theories, including that “some of our nation’s educational institutions are fronts for the mob.” , officials said.
Florida man self-immolates near New York courthouse where Trump trial is being held
Maxwell Azzarello, 37, was pronounced dead Friday around 10:30 p.m. (St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office)
After being engulfed in flames, Azzarello took a few steps before falling over a police fence and falling to the ground. Court staff, police officers and other witnesses tried to extinguish the fire with coats and other equipment. The fire was eventually put out by police.
Azzarello was taken to a burn center in critical condition. Four police officers were also involved in the fire and suffered minor injuries.
The self-proclaimed researcher arrived in New York City earlier this week and began protesting in front of the courthouse, criticizing both Republican and Democratic politicians. His family did not know he had traveled to the city.
“It appears he posted about this incident online prior to the incident,” a police official said Friday afternoon.
“This extreme protest is meant to draw attention to an urgent and important discovery: that we are victims of a totalitarian fraud and that our own government (along with many of our allies) has committed an apocalyptic is about to attack us with a fascist global coup d’état,” Azzarello wrote in a manifesto on his Substack page.
Trump hush money trial: Meet the jurors who will hear Bragg’s lawsuit against 2024 presidential candidate
Maxwell Azzarello, 37, of St. Augustine, Florida, died Friday night from severe burns he set on fire earlier in the day. (St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Police said the park was open to the public at the time of the incident and Azzarello did not violate any security protocols.
Azzarello was arrested in Florida over several days in August last year on three charges, including disturbing the peace and damaging property.
His actions that led to his arrest included throwing a wine glass at former President Bill Clinton’s sign on a framed wall in the hotel lobby and, just two days later, removing his boxer shorts. He is said to have yelled at customers. Same hotel.
After his third arrest, Florida police announced that Azzarello was suicidal.
FOX News’ Luis Casiano contributed to this report.
