CNN — The man who lit himself on fire outside the Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump’s criminal trial is unfolding is in critical condition, police said on Friday.
New York Police Department Chief of Department Jeffrey B. Maddrey said the man is in Cornell Burn Unit.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said police have not determined if the incident was related to Trump’s trial. He said the man did post about the incident on social media and that his internet presence will be part of the ongoing investigation.
Maddrey said the man walked into the center of Collect Pond Park, which is directly across from the courthouse where Trump is on trial. He opened his backpack and took out pamphlets that he scattered in the park.
“And then he pulls out a canister and pours some kind of liquid on himself — a liquid we believe is an accelerant — and he lights himself on fire,” Maddrey said at a news conference on Friday.
The man then fell into a police barrier and onto the ground, he said. People and officers in the area tried to put the fire out using their coats and fire extinguishers, Maddrey said.
This post has been updated with additional information from officials.
