CNN’s Laura Coates rambled incoherently Friday as she reacted live to a man setting himself on fire in front of the courthouse for President Donald Trump’s trial in New York.
Coates first labeled the incident as an active shooting before pivoting to more accurate commentary, saying the man was on fire. “Active shooter! An active shooter is in the park outside the court…,” she began before realizing the man was actually on fire.
“We have a man, he has set fire to himself. A man has emblazoned himself outside of the courthouse just now. Our cameras are turning right now, a man has now lit himself on fire outside of the courthouse in Manhattan where we are waiting for history to be made. A full jury panel has gone,” Coates rambled, picking up speed and becoming more animated.
“We are watching a man who is fully emblazoned in front of the courthouse today. We are watching multiple fires breaking out around his body and person,” Coates relayed as CNN’s cameras switched back to her.
Here’s the moment when CNN anchor Laura Coates has to break away from an interview to report on the man setting himself on fire and police officers rushing to extinguish the flames. pic.twitter.com/RYK3HyzUuP
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) April 19, 2024
“We have seen an arm that has been visible that has been engulfed in total flame. There is chaos that is happening. People are wondering right now if people are in danger. I’m looking across the courtyard, there is a man racing to his aid. There are coats coming off to try and put out the fire. We have members of security details, NYPD is rushing to the scene. They are trying to come now, officers are on the scene,” she continued, still hardly taking in air. (RELATED: Man Who Lights Himself On Fire For Leftist Cause Still Guilty Of Being Too White)
She went on, somewhat incoherently, saying, “A fire extinguisher is right now present being put on this man, trying to put out. People are climbing over barricades trying to separate the public, to put out the flame on this man. He has lit himself on fire in front of the courthouse right now, we are watching as the flame, I can smell the air, I can smell the burning of some sort of a flesh. I can smell the burning of some sort of agent being used as well as an accelerant.”
The man was taken away in a stretcher and placed in an ambulance, a video independent videographer Leeroy Press posted to Twitter shows.
#Breakingnews
Someone just set themselves on fire at collected pond park in downtown Manhattan NY
Filmed by @LeeroyPress
For licensing email Leeroypress@gmail.com pic.twitter.com/a9pRrtqFfI— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) April 19, 2024
Authorities identified the perpetrator as Maxwell Azzarello from St. Augustine, Florida, the NYPD told press shortly after the incident.