Horrifying video taken earlier today shows a man engulfed in flames after he set himself on fire in downtown Washington, across from the White House, the Secret Service said.
And it was all caught on camera by a 17-year-old girl from Alexandria, Virginia who was sight-seeing with her cousin from Bolivia who also witnessed the incident.
Footage taken by the girl’s cell phone camera shows smoke billowing from the front lawn, near a guard shack.
As officers rush to the scene, it almost seems like a Hollywood stunt of sorts.
But Krisjan Berzins, the girl’s father, confirmed his daughter witnessed “Secret Service agents running toward him trying to extinguish the fire.”
The Secret Service also confirmed the incident on Twitter.
“I can confirm that we’ve transported one patient with burns from the Ellipse and now we’re on scene assisting law enforcement,” a spokesman for the fire department told CNBC.
The disturbing incident, which occurred at 12:15 p.m. EST on Wednesday near 15th Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW, shows a man consumed by fire walking around in the Ellipse park next to the fence of the president’s Washington DC home.
The man walks around on fire, ablaze for several seconds, before secret service and police miraculously rush up to extinguish the flames with their sirens wailing.
As a cloud of smoke builds from the extinguishers, screams can be heard in the background from people gawking at the terrifying sight.
The man was reportedly rushed to the hospital and treated for his injuries.
Spokesman for the United States Park Police Sgt. Eduardo Delgado said the man is currently in critical condition.
If he happens to live, he owes his life to the police and Secret Service’s quick response.
It really is remarkable how fast they got to him.
UPDATE, the man has reportedly died from his injuries, according to the Washington Post.
WARNING: the video above is graphic.
