A man lit himself on fire near the White House on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Secret Service — a dramatic scene that was caught on video.
Video posted on Twitter shows the man engulfed in flames near the Ellipse, a park located south of the White House. Police cruisers are seen rushing to the park as the blaze is extinguished.
The man, who wasn’t immediately identified, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, a spokesman for the Washington, DC, fire department told CBS News.
Krisjan Berzins said his daughter began recording after spotting the burning man.
“According to my daughter…she just saw a person that was on fire running across the White House lawn,” Berzins tweeted. “Police and rescue have responded. They’re closing all surrounding streets right now.”
The Secret Service confirmed his daughter’s account in a tweet.
“At approximately 12:20 p.m. a man lit himself on fire on the Ellipse near 15th and Constitution Ave., Secret Service personnel are on scene assisting @NatlParkService and @usparkpolicepio in rendering first aid,” the law enforcement agency wrote.
Last month, a man in a motorized wheelchair set his jacket on fire outside the White House, prompting a security lockdown. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2019/05/29/man-sets-himself-on-fire-near-white-house/amp/
Video & pictures in link
Video posted on Twitter shows the man engulfed in flames near the Ellipse, a park located south of the White House. Police cruisers are seen rushing to the park as the blaze is extinguished.
The man, who wasn’t immediately identified, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, a spokesman for the Washington, DC, fire department told CBS News.
Krisjan Berzins said his daughter began recording after spotting the burning man.
“According to my daughter…she just saw a person that was on fire running across the White House lawn,” Berzins tweeted. “Police and rescue have responded. They’re closing all surrounding streets right now.”
The Secret Service confirmed his daughter’s account in a tweet.
“At approximately 12:20 p.m. a man lit himself on fire on the Ellipse near 15th and Constitution Ave., Secret Service personnel are on scene assisting @NatlParkService and @usparkpolicepio in rendering first aid,” the law enforcement agency wrote.
Last month, a man in a motorized wheelchair set his jacket on fire outside the White House, prompting a security lockdown. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2019/05/29/man-sets-himself-on-fire-near-white-house/amp/
Video & pictures in link