Horrified witnesses desperately called for help as self-described “investigative researcher” Max Azzarello lit himself on fire in a park outside the Manhattan courthouse where President Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place, shocking footage shows.
The chilling video shows one man off-camera beginning his plea for police right before Azzarello ignited himself into a ball of flames just as jury selection concluded in Trump’s historic case.
“Police, police, there’s a guy lighting himself on fire,” 25-year-old William Schoeffler screamed as Azzarello doused himself with an accelerant.
“He’s lighting himself on fire, hello.”
The shocked onlooker’s calls for help became more urgent as flames began to quickly erupt, according to the video.
Warning graphic video:
Woah. Here’s the moment the guy outside the NYC courthouse lit himself on fire. https://t.co/pwU54Pem1Y
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 20, 2024
Almost a minute later authorities swarmed the scene to help the 37-year-old man as he lay on the ground with severe burns throughout his body.
One bystander was holding a woman who was in tears.
Cops directed the witnesses to move away as they waited for EMS to arrive.
However, a person was able to film the NYPD reaction from above and all we can tell that they we slow in reacting like really slow:
People shared their opinion:
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man, who was identified as Maxwell Azzarello from Florida, was declared dead by staff at a hospital in the area, according to NBC News.
Describing the incident, Jeffrey B. Maddrey, the chief of the NYPD, said: “We observe a male walk into the park… when he’s in the park, he starts shuffling around his clothes, he opens up a book bag. From the book bag, he takes numerous pieces of paper, pamphlets out. He throws the pamphlets throughout the park, and then he pulls out a cannister and pours some kind of liquid on himself, a liquid we believe is an accelerant and he lights himself on fire.
“The male takes a couple of steps while he is on fire and then eventually he falls onto a police barrier and falls down to the ground,” Maddrey added.
He said that police officers, court employees and members of the public attempted to put out the flames using coats and fire extinguishers. Maddrey added that Azzarello did not breach any security checkpoints as the park, which has become a gathering point for protesters, was open to the public.
Authorities said they were reviewing security protocols around the courthouse and whether to restrict access to the park. “We may have to shut this area down,” said NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry on Friday.
The post New Footage Emerges of NYPD Responding to Flames on Max Azzarello’s Body – Raises Questions appeared first on Defiant America.
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Author: Kellyanne Richardson
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