A 63-year-old man who allegedly set himself on fire in the lobby of a Lower Manhattan office building on Friday has been arrested and charged with arson, the New York Police Department announced Saturday.
John Butch is accused of using a “lighter accelerant” to ignite himself in the lobby of 315 Hudson Street, a building that houses Google, around 3 p.m. Friday, police told news outlets. He also faces charges of criminal mischief and reckless endangerment, according to the NYPD.
The motive for the self-immolation remains unclear. Police said Butch is not an NYPD employee, and there is no indication he had any connection to the building’s other tenants.
Emergency Response and Hospitalization
Multiple bystanders called 911 after witnessing the incident, and first responders rushed Butch to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he is receiving burn treatment and was listed in stable condition, according to the New York Post.
Google, which occupies more than 410,000 square feet of the ten-story structure, issued a statement Friday acknowledging the incident. “We are aware of an incident that occurred today in the lobby at 315 Hudson, a building we share with other tenants,” a Google spokesperson said. “While the individual appeared to be seeking access to another tenant’s space in the building, we remain in close contact with local authorities.” The spokesperson added, “We are grateful to first responders.”
Also housed in the building is the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, which investigates police misconduct. However, police confirmed Butch is not an NYPD employee.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to determine what led Butch to take such drastic action. The charges against him signal that law enforcement views the incident as a criminal act rather than an accident or a mental health episode, though questions about his intentions remain unanswered.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2026/08/29/man-who-allegedly-lit-himself-on-fire-in-manhattan-building-charged-with-arson-and-criminal-mischief/