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On New Year’s eve, three NYPD officers were injured in an unprovoked attack carried out by a machete-wielding teenager identified as Trevor Bickford, officials said in a statement.
As per NBC, On December 31, 2022, 19-year-old Trevor Bickford, a resident of Wells, Maine, attacked the officers near New York City's Times Square area with a machete. The officers, who sustained injuries during the attack, were rushed to the hospital and are reported to be in stable condition.
Officials said one officer sustained a fractured skull and a large laceration and was hospitalized after the incident. Two other officers were treated for brutal cuts.
Trevor Bickford, a 2022 graduate of Wells High School, was also taken to the hospital after he was shot in the shoulder by one of the injured officers during the attack.
While the police have stated that this was an unprovoked attack, they are yet to establish a motive as they continue to investigate the suspect, described as a proponent of pro-jihadist ideology, officials said in a statement.
Trevor Bickford had just graduated high school before he was arrested for the unprovoked attack on NYPD officers
On December 31, 2022, Trevor Bickford, a recent high school graduate from Wells, Maine, armed with a machete, approached an officer shortly after 10 pm just outside checkpoints in Times Square, where New Year’s Eve celebrations were in full swing.
Bickford traveled from his home state of Wells, Maine, to New York on Thursday, December 29, and struck the three officials in the head before he was incapacitated by one of the officers who shot him in the shoulder. The injured officers and the suspect are expected to recover from their injuries.
According to law enforcement officials, the suspect’s name was found on a federal database for posting pro-jihadist ideology on social media. Bickford was reportedly interviewed by federal agents in early December after they were alerted by his relatives. His family reportedly mentioned that they grew increasingly concerned about the suspect's fervent support for radical Islamist ideologies, including an interest in visiting Afghanistan.
Trevor Bickford wrote a note before carrying out the attack
Officials, who are yet to release additional information about their investigation, said that a note resembling a suicide mission manifesto was found in the suspect’s belongings at the time of the arrest.
Meanwhile, at a press conference, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said that there was no active threat to the community.
They mentioned:
“We are working with our federal partners for this investigation, and it is ongoing.”
Shortly after the attack, Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement saying:
“Three officers were attacked in midtown this evening. Thankfully, they are all in stable condition and their attacker is in custody.”
Adams then expressed his gratitude to law enforcement officials for diligently dealing with the threat and keeping the city safe.
