A man has been arrested for arson after setting himself on fire in the lobby of a building in Lower Manhattan that houses a Google office. John Butch, 63, set himself on fire with a flammable liquid in the lobby of the building on Hudson Street, near Vandam Street, at around 3 p.m. Friday, the New York Post reported.
The man has been charged with arson, disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment of life and health.
After the incident, multiple people called 911. Emergency services arrived on the scene and transported Butch to Weill Cornell Medical Center. He was treated for burns and is in stable condition, police said.
The building where the incident occurred is also used by the New York Police Department's Internal Affairs Bureau. Police said Butch was not an employee.
Google confirmed that they were aware of the incident.
“We are aware of an incident that occurred today in the lobby of 315 Hudson - a building we share with other tenants“, a company spokesperson said.
According to him, the man appeared to have attempted to gain access to another tenant's premises. Google added that they are in constant contact with local authorities and are grateful to the teams that provided assistance on the spot.