Man arrested after setting himself on fire inside Manhattan Google office building

63-year-old John Butch has been charged with criminal mischief, arson, and reckless endangerment. Authorities say that Butch lit himself on fire in the lobby of a Lower Manhattan office building on Hudson Street at approximately 3 pm on Friday. Butch was seen on surveillance footage first entering the lobby at around 2 pm, leaving, and then returning around an hour later, just before the fire.

The building houses offices for Google, which occupies approximately 410,556 square feet of the property, as well as the New York Police Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Multiple bystanders called 911 after Butch allegedly set himself on fire. He was transported to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he received treatment for burns and was listed in stable condition.

According to a report from the New York Daily News, a source familiar with the investigation said that the fire may have started after something inside Butch’s backpack ignited. Police believe lighter fluid was used to fuel the fire.

“At first I thought they were shooting a film or something,” a building worker who witnessed the incident from across the street told the outlet. “I saw the flames in the lobby. Then the flames were running around the lobby, and security was trying to put him out.”

“One of the security guards came out of the building with the burning backpack and threw it into the street,” the building worker added. “The others inside put him out with fire extinguishers. When they brought him out, he was terribly burned, all wrapped in bandages. I don’t know if you want to live that way. It was terrible.”

There is no indication that the incident was related to Google. In response to the incident, a Google spokesperson said the company was aware of what occurred. "We are aware of an incident that occurred today in the lobby at 315 Hudson, a building we share with other tenants. While the individual appeared to be seeking access to another tenant’s space in the building, we remain in close contact with local authorities. We are grateful to first responders,” the spokesperson said.