by Luc Cohen, Jack Queen and Andy Sullivan
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A man died after setting himself on fire on Friday in the New York court where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on criminal trial in the bribery case Former porn star Stormy Daniels, American media reported on Saturday.
The man was on fire for several minutes in front of television cameras covering live Donald Trump’s trial in Manhattan court.
The man died, according to certain American media including NBC News which cites the New York police.
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The fire department previously said the victim was in critical condition.
Witnesses said the man took pamphlets out of a backpack before throwing them in the air, dousing himself with liquid and setting himself on fire.
Authorities say the man, who until recently lived in St. Augustine, Florida, did not appear to be targeting the former US president.
One of the pamphlets, titled “The True History of the World,” included references to “evil billionaires,” but a Reuters witness said he did not see any mention of Donald Trump.
“For now, we label him a conspiracy theorist and we go from there,” Tarrik Sheppard, deputy commissioner of the New York Police Department, said at a news conference.
The New York court has been the subject of increased surveillance due to the almost daily presence of former US President Donald Trump since the opening of his trial on Monday.
This incident occurred shortly after the end of the selection of the twelve titular jurors and six alternates, paving the way for the start of the debates next week.
(French version Zhifan Liu)
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