UPDATED: Man Lights Himself On Fire On National Mall In D.C. (Photos)
A man this afternoon around 4:00 PM ET reportedly lit himself on fire, possibly with gasoline, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. There are no reports detailing who he is or why he did it. He reportedly is alive and a witness said passersby put the flames out.
UPDATE:Â In Two Cities, Two Men Tried To Light Themselves On Fire
“Police responded to the National Mall on Friday afternoon for reports of a man on fire,” the Washington Post reports:
“We have a report of a man on fire at 7th and Independence,†said D.C. police spokeswoman Saray Leon.
Yesterday, a 34-year old woman was killed, reportedly by police in Washington D.C. after she tried to ram her car through the barricades at the White House.
And last month, sadly, 12 people plus the shooter died in a mass murder shooting at the D.C. Navy Yard.
UPDATE:
The NY Daily News notes that “one witness says his accomplice filmed the entire ordeal”:
Katy Scheflen, a furloughed civil rights attorney in the Justice Department, said she stopped because she saw “a guy with a tripod set up.”
Scheflen said another man, who she thought the tripod with a camera was filming, then took a red can of gasoline, poured it over his head.
“At that point we didn’t know what was going, maybe it was some sort of stage protest,” Scheflen said. “And then he set himself on fire and went up in flames,” she said. “Whoosh.”
…
“It’s very shocking,” she said. “It’s horrifying. Literally watching this guy go up in flames. There was not really anything anybody could do.”
Scheflen said the presence of a mounted camera gave her the impression “he was aware something was about to happen. Otherwise he was filming nothing but a guy standing there.”
“It was obviously an intentional act, “She said. Somebody has a video of the whole thing.”
Look:
Â
//storify.com/davidbadash/man-lights-himself-on-fire-on-national-mall-in-d-c/embed
[View the story “Man Lights Himself On Fire On National Mall In D.C.” on Storify]
Â
Image via Imgur
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.