CNN’s Coates Gets Confused During Live Report as Man Sets Himself on Fire Outside of the NYC Courthouse: ‘An Active Shooter Is in the Park’

COATES: “What do you say? We also are seeing — an active shooter! An active shooter is in the park outside the court! We have a man who is — he has set fire to himself. A man has emblazoned himself outside of the courthouse just now. Our cameras are turning right now. A man has now lit himself on fire outside of the courthouse in Manhattan where we are waiting for history to be made, a full jury panel is gone. We are watching a man who is fully emblazoned in the front of the courthouse today. We are watching multiple fires breaking out around his body and person. We have seen an arm that has been visible, that has been engulfed in total flames. There is chaos that is happening. People are wondering right now if people are in danger. I’m looking across the — across the courtyard. There is a man racing to his aid. There’s coats coming off to try to put out the fire. We have members of security details, NYPD is rushing to the scene. They are trying to come out, officers are on the scene. A fire extinguisher is right now present, being put on this man to try to put out. People are climbing over barricade to try to separate the public, to put out the flame on this man. He has lit himself out on fire in front of the courthouse right now. We are watching as they’re playing, we can smell the air. I can smell the burning of some sort of a flesh.”

PEREZ: “You can smell it.”

COATES: “I can smell the burning of some sort of agent being used, as well as an accelerant to put that fire. I smell an actual, fire extinguisher having been displayed. I see a person whose body appears to be on the ground, being surrounded by officers. I have multiple officers, I count about a dozen officers on the scene.”

PEREZ: “The fire is still burning.”

COATES: “The fire is still burning. It’s now in multiple locations. It continues to — continue to Blaze. We right now have officers removing their coats trying to surround this person to envelop their body to prevent them from further going into flames. You can smell — I’m here with Evan Perez. You can smell burning flesh. You can smell an accelerant. The flames are continuing to engulf his person. I hear shouts that are coming from across the courtyard. I have people, multiple —“

PEREZ: “There’s another fire extinguisher.”

COATES: “— lining over another fire [inaudible] brought out. This person’s body continues to be engulfed in flames. A portion of his body is still engulfed in flames. A yellow smoke is billowing from on top of his person as it is engulfing the officers who are continuing to try to put out these flames that are continuing to emblazon. Now the officers are not visible through the gulf and the cloud of smoke —“