A suspect has been charged in connection with a New Year’s Eve machete attack on police officers near Times Square. Trevor Bickford is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer

A suspect has been charged in connection with a New Year’s Eve machete attack on police officers near Times Square. Trevor Bickford is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer. The 19-year-old man accused of using a machete to attack three police officers near Times Square on New Year’s Eve has been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and two counts of attempted assault. Trevor Bickford, of Wells, Maine, allegedly attacked the officers without provocation on December 29, 2022, after taking a train to the city. His alleged assault occurred just weeks after the suspect was placed on a federal watchlist that would have barred him from travelling abroad after his mother informed the FBI about her son’s leanings toward Islamic extremism, according to law enforcement sources. Police discovered the suspect’s backpack at the scene, which contained a diary. The suspect’s final diary entry indicated that he expected to die in the attack and requested burial in accordance with Islamic tradition. Bickford has made statements to investigators that strengthen the belief that the attack was motivated by Islamic extremism. He told police he took a sip of water and shouted “Allahu Akhbar” before attacking the officers with a knife. The knife was purchased in Maine, where Bickford also deposited thousands of dollars in cash before boarding the Amtrak to New York. According to sources, the withdrawal and purchase indicate premeditation. Bickford’s mother allegedly called the FBI last month and warned them about his proclivity toward Islamic extremism. Bickford was interviewed by the FBI and it was determined that he wanted to travel to Afghanistan to fight for the cause. Its alleged that Bickford is on a federal watchlist, which would have barred him from travelling abroad, but nothing stopped him from boarding an Amtrak train to New York on December 29. When the suspect arrived in New York, he made a large cash donation to the Bowery Mission, which investigators believe was done to fulfil a Muslim tenet of charity.  

Bickford is thought to have slept in a park in Forest Park, Queens, after that. According to sources, police recovered a sleeping bag associated with the suspect. Investigators want to know what brought him to the park in a remote part of town and if he intended to meet anyone. On Sunday, the three officers were released from the hospital. During a press conference on Sunday, New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell told reporters that the incident happened just after 10 p.m. on Saturday near West 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue, outside the secure area set up for New Year’s Eve celebrations. The attack was “unprovoked,” and Bickford attempted to hit one officer over the head with the machete. “The male then struck two more officers in the head with the machete,” she explained. Bickford is still being treated at Bellevue Hospital for the injuries he sustained when police shot him. One of the injured officers, an eight-year veteran of the NYPD, suffered a laceration to the head. Another injured officer had just graduated from the police academy on Friday, and his first assignment was the New Year’s Eve detail in Times Square, as is customary. Officials say the rookie was also struck in the head, resulting in a skull fracture and large laceration. Prior to New Year’s Eve, the NYPD had observed terrorist groups preparing for a possible New Year’s Day attack. “Throughout December, multiple pro-ISIS users broadly called for attacks in advance of the New Year, advocating a wide range of low-tech tactics,” according to the NYPD’s pre-event assessment report. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force had previously investigated the suspect, following reports from his mother and aunt. Federal terrorism charges are still possible in connection with the attack.

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