NEW YORK CITY — Butch is from Brooklyn. Police confirmed John Butch is not an NYPD employee. Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the incident.

The building at 315 Hudson Street houses Sweetgreen and Joe & The Juice on its ground floor. Google occupies 410,556 square feet in the building. The building also houses the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau.

Why It Matters

The incident involved a major commercial tenant and a law enforcement facility within a single Lower Manhattan structure. Google occupies a large portion of the building, yet the company stated it was not the intended target. The presence of the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau in the same building adds context to the location, though police confirmed Butch was not an employee.

Timeline

On August 28, 2026, Butch, 63, set himself on fire in the lobby of 315 Hudson Street in Lower Manhattan at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday. Also on August 28, 2026, first responders transported Butch to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition. On that same day, a Google spokesperson said, "We are grateful to first responders." The spokesperson also said, "While the individual appeared to be seeking access to another tenant’s space in the building, we remain in close contact with local authorities." Police stated that Butch used a lighter and an accelerant to set himself on fire.

Google stated it did not believe it was the intended target of the incident. No other individuals were injured in the incident. On August 29, 2026, Butch was charged with criminal mischief, arson, and reckless endangerment.

What's New

Additional reporting indicates that Google occupies 410,556 square feet in the building at 315 Hudson Street. The building at 315 Hudson Street also houses the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Police stated that Butch used a lighter and an accelerant to set himself on fire.

Police confirmed Butch is not an NYPD employee. Hudson Street is a street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan in New York City, United States.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the level of detail regarding the method used by Butch. The NYPD incident report states that Butch, 63, set himself on fire in the lobby of 315 Hudson Street in Lower Manhattan at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday. The NYPD statement specifies that police stated that Butch used a lighter and an accelerant to set himself on fire.