Donald Trump trial: Man sets himself on fire outside court

Close to the Lower Manhattan courthouse where jurors were being selected for the criminal trial of former president Donald Trump, a young man set himself on fire Friday afternoon.

At approximately 1:35pm, in Collect Pond Park, which is across the street from the courthouse, the man doused himself in accelerant, according to the New York Times.

The individual was soon covered in bright orange flames as onlookers yelled and fled. It was not evident why he did what he did.

Though the heat was felt several hundred feet away, people raced over to try to put out the fire.

Dozens of police officers raced over and attempted to put out the fire after a short while. The man seemed to be alive, and they hurried him away in an ambulance.

The man threw flyers into the air before setting himself on fire, according to an unnamed eyewitness. The man collapsed to the ground as his dark grey T-shirt and jeans fell to the floor. He was in a section of the park designated just for Trump fans.

A few of the flyers mentioned former Vice President Al Gore, former President George W Bush, and attorney David Boies, who defended Gore during the 2000 presidential recount.

As he poured the accelerant on himself, the man stood tall and then held a flame at chest level. Others cried out as they realised what he was about to do, as people near to him fled.

The air was filled by people’s screams and shouts as the flames consumed him and he then collapsed slowly. His condition is still not known after the incident.