Man Sets Himself on Fire Near Courthouse Where Trump Is on Trial

A man set himself on fire on Friday afternoon near the Lower Manhattan courthouse where jurors were being chosen for the criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump.

The man doused himself with accelerant at around 1:35 p.m. in Collect Pond Park, across the street from the courthouse. Onlookers screamed and started to run, and soon, bright orange flames engulfed the man. It was unclear what motivated his action, but he threw leaflets espousing anti-government conspiracy theories into the air before the incident.

People rushed to extinguish the fire, but the intensity of the heat could be felt several hundred feet away.

After a few minutes, dozens of police officers arrived to smother the flames. The man was loaded into an ambulance and rushed away. The New York Fire Department said he was taken to a hospital in critical condition.