A 63-year-old man was arrested on arson charges after allegedly setting himself on fire in the lobby of an office building that houses Google in Lower Manhattan, police said.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said John Butch, 63, from Brooklyn, New York, allegedly used a “lighter accelerant” to ignite himself at around 3pm on Friday (August 28) inside the lobby of 315 Hudson Street, near Vandam Street. He has been charged with arson, criminal mischief, and reckless endangerment, according to reports.
Surveillance and Incident Details
Surveillance footage showed Butch entering the building’s lobby at about 2pm, leaving, then returning roughly an hour later. At around 2.58pm, investigators said he used fluid kept in his backpack to set himself alight, with both his body and bag becoming engulfed in flames.
The incident sparked panic in the lobby, but building security guards rushed in with fire extinguishers and put out the blaze before the FDNY and NYPD arrived. Butch survived and was taken by EMS to the NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center burn unit. He remains in hospital in stable condition, the New York Post reported.
No Injuries to Others
Police reportedly said no staff or bystanders were injured. During a search of his personal items, investigators recovered a collapsible tactical baton from inside his charred bag.
Motive Under Question
Questions remain over whether Google was the intended target. The 10-storey building is a shared space. While Google is the biggest tenant, it also houses the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, the New York Society for the Deaf and ground-floor retail shops.
A Google spokesperson stressed the firm was not necessarily the focus of the incident. “We are aware of an incident that occurred today in the lobby at 315 Hudson, a building we share with other tenants,” the spokesperson said in a statement on Friday. They added: “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.”
