On Wednesday afternoon, a man set himself on fire while he was on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The incident occurred at Sproul Plaza, the center of the campus.
The University of California Police Department (UCPD) received a call at approximately 4:17 pm reporting a person on fire.
The man is believed to be in his 20s, and he was suffering from a severe mental health episode at the time. He sustained critical burns and was taken to a local hospital by Berkeley Fire Department officials.
A female bystander who tried to assist him was also injured, but the extent of her injuries is currently unknown.
An eyewitness stated that the man’s clothes was burned off, and that he was heard yelling and moaning. Bystanders attempted to put out the fire by fanning their jackets on him.
The man was eventually assisted by police officers and firefighters who extinguished the flames.
The UCPD confirmed that mental health professionals were on the scene to respond to the bizarre incident.
The police department also stated that it is unclear if the individual involved is affiliated with the university and the incident is currently under investigation.