A person has set themselves on fire outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's hush-money trial has been taking place.
The man was engulfed in flames for more than three minutes before a police officer sprayed a fire extinguisher on the ground.
The person received medical attention and was taken from the area on a stretcher.
Police quickly taped off the scene of the incident as smoke lingered in the air.
One witness said: "I see a totally charred human being."
The courthouse in New York City is already under heightened security given the former President's presence in the courtroom each day.
Police say the man is in a critical condition.
A witness said he first heard the man throwing pamphlets into the air, then saw him douse himself from a can and light himself on fire.
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Other people at the scene said the man appeared to be calm before he doused himself with liquid.
The reason for the incident is currently unknown.
A pamphlet which was thrown by the man referred to "evil billionaires" and called on people to "expose this corruption."
The development came shortly after jury selection for the trial was completed, clearing the way for prosecutors and defence attorneys to make opening statements next week.
The 12 jurors, along with six alternates, will consider evidence in a first-ever trial to determine whether a former US President is guilty of breaking the law.
Trump is accused of covering up a $130,000 payment his former lawyer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says they had a decade earlier.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and denies any such encounter with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
from GB News https://ift.tt/PLSxlGg
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