Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York has resumed after a man set himself on fire in a park outside the courthouse.

The man is in a critical condition and has been identified by police as Maxwell Azzarello – a resident of St Augustine, Florida.

BBC News says officials do not believe that he was targeting any person or group.

For now, they believe Azzarello is a conspiracy theorist driven to this act by his views – his social media posts and the pamphlets he tossed out just before the fire are the basis for this conclusion.

They add that investigations will continue.

Before the emergency incident, the court confirmed a jury of seven men and five women, plus six backup jurors.

Trump is accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before he won the 2016 election.

He has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of fraud and also denies having an affair with Daniels.