Alleged Islamic Extremist Attacked NYPD Cops With Machete Near Times Square, Identified

January 1, 2023 10:59 am

NEW YORK (AP) — A man from Wells, Maine wielding a machete attacked three police officers at the New Year’s Eve celebration in New York City, authorities said, striking two of them in the head before an officer shot the man in the shoulder.

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The attack happened a little after 10 p.m. about eight blocks from Times Square, just outside of the high-security zone where revelers are screened for weapons.

The two officers were hospitalized, one with a fractured skull and the other with a bad cut, but expected to recover.

The suspect has been identified as Trevor Bickford, 19, of Wells. Bickford had attended Wells High School.

The attack and sound of a gunshot briefly sent some people in the crowd running, but the incident did not impact the festivities in Times Square, which continued uninterrupted.

Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference that he had spoken to one of the wounded officers as he was being stitched up at the hospital.

“He was in good spirits,” Adams said. “He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.”

An investigation was underway to pinpoint a motive for the attack, but authorities said they didn’t believe there was any ongoing threat to the public.

This is the weapon that was recovered at the scene.

Michael Driscoll, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, said they believe the attacker acted alone.

The NYPD mounts a massive security operation every year to keep the New Year’s Eve crowd safe. Thousands of officers are deployed in the area, including many new recruits to the force.

One of the injured officers only graduated from the police academy on Friday, the mayor said.

The blocks where the biggest crowds gather to see performances and the midnight ball drop can only be accessed through checkpoints where officers use metal-detecting wands to screen for weapons. Large bags and coolers are banned. Barriers are set up to prevent vehicle attacks in the secure area.

The security perimeter can only extend so far, though. The attack took place on 8th Avenue, which is often packed with thick crowds navigating around the frozen zone or trying to find one of the secure entrances.