A 19-year-old man accused of attacking three New York City police officers with a machete near Times Square on New Year's Eve was charged in federal court with attempted murder
The suspect, Trevor Bickford, already faces similar charges in state court. It was not immediately clear which case would move forward first.
"We allege that the defendant plotted a jihad-inspired attack targeting U.S. government officials, and on December 31st, 2022, attacked three NYPD officers who were part of the joint federal-state law enforcement operation protecting the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration," U.S Attorney Merrick Garland said in announcing the charges.
Attorneys for the Legal Aid Society, representing Bickford, could not be reached by Reuters for comment on Tuesday evening. Prosecutors say the 19-year-old man had considered traveling to Afghanistan to ally himself with the Taliban before attacking three police officers with a machete shortly before midnight on December 31 outside a secure area set up for New Year's Eve celebrations.All three officers survived and Bickford was taken into custody after being shot in the shoulder by police gunfire.
Authorities say that FBI agents interviewed Bickford in December after his mother reported her concern that her son was possibly becoming radicalized. The agents placed him on a federal watch list to prevent him from traveling overseas.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
“Forget ‘New Year, New Me.’ Here’s to ‘New Year, Real Me.’”“This year, I don’t want to be a ‘new’ me. I want to be the old me. The authentic me. I want to shed the mask and start living fully as myself.”
Read more »
Japanese Photojournalist Injured in Kyiv New Year's Eve AttackJapanese photojournalist Wataru Sekita was injured in a large attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on New Year's Eve along with dozens of others.
Read more »
Middleburg man charged in New Year’s Eve crash that killed pizza delivery driverA 40-year-old Middleburg man is facing manslaughter charges after a fatal New Year’s Eve crash, according to an arrest report obtained by News4JAX.
Read more »
Will Aniah’s Law keep New Year’s Eve shooter in jail?Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine said Monday he was hopeful that Aniah's Law will be used to keep Thomas Earl Thomas Jr. behind bars during his criminal case. Thomas is charged with murder stemming from a shooting on New Year's Eve in Mobile.
Read more »
Man in New Year's Eve machete attack faces federal chargesA man accused of attacking police with a machete near New York’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve is now facing federal terrorism charges
Read more »
Justice Department Charges Alleged NYC New Year’s Eve Attacker With Attempted MurderThe Justice Department charged a 19-year-old alleged Islamic extremist with federal crimes stemming from a New Year’s Eve machete attack on three New York police officers
Read more »