The man set himself on fire outside the US Supreme Court

A man set himself on fire in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, prompting him to be evacuated by helicopter, a High Court spokesman confirmed to AFP.

“At 6:30 pm, a man went to the Esplanade in front of the Supreme Court building and set it on fire,” a spokesman for the country’s highest judicial body said in a statement.

“A medical helicopter landed in an Esplanade and the person was taken to a local hospital,” the same source said.

No one else was injured and could not be reached for comment on Friday. The Supreme Court’s services have insisted that the incident was not considered a threat to public safety.

According to the Fox Channel, it was a man, but no details about his health, identity or the reasons for his gesture were known Friday evening.

The play comes two days after the Capitol was evacuated due to a false air threat.

It was said that the threat came from U.S. military paramedics who were dropped from a plane to attend a pre-game event at a baseball ground less than a mile from the Capitol.