The FBI's New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is unwavering in its mission to combat terrorism to keep our city safe, and we will bring any radicalized individual willing to commit violence to justice., An attack against New York City police officers is an attack against all of us and todays charges make it clear that such violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, said NYPD Commissioner Keechang L. Sewell. A police officer walks after the first public New Year's event since the COVID-19 pandemic, at Times Square, in New York, Jan. 1, 2023. Were trying to do things the gentlemans way, so were keeping things close-knit.. FBI agents were outside Bickford's home in Wells on Sunday, NBC affiliate WCSH of Portland, Maine, reported. Four law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation said federal agents knew the suspects after having interviewed him in mid-December after a relative alerted them that he had expressed militant support for Islam. On New Years Eve, Bickford went to Times Square for the purpose of killing U.S. Government officials, armed with a large, curved knife similar to a machete, known as a kukri, with a blade over one foot long. ", NYE SLASHING SUSPECT TREVOR BICKFORD CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER OF POLICE OFFICERS. [17] As of May 10, 2016, authorities have not ruled out the possibility that Barry was a self-radicalized "lone wolf". One of the injured officers, an eight-year veteran of the NYPD, suffered a laceration to the head, officials said. In Jamaica Queens in 2014, a radicalized man named Zale Thompson attacked three officerswithout warning with a hatchet, nearly killing one of the officers. An official website of the United States government. A high-level police source previously told Fox News Digital that he had recently converted to Islam and said that authorities received a tip saying that Bickford expressed interest in traveling to Afghanistan. Bickford allegedly committed the attack nearly two hours before midnight outside the secure area at Times Square where individuals are searched for weapons. Clearly, the threat of jihadist terrorism remains very real, and our countrys security begins with the dedicated local, state, and federal law enforcement officers who are committed to keeping us safe. [36], In February 2017, the White House listed the machete attack as a terrorist attack. The man accused of attempting to kill two New York City police officers on New Year's Eve has been hit with federal charges, according to the Department of Justice. Three officers assigned to New Years Eve celebrations in New York City's Times Square area were injured by a machete-wielding teenager who expressed militant support for Islam, law enforcement officials said. [1][4][8] Barry was shot repeatedly[11] and died of a bullet wound in his neck. All Rights Reserved. The DOJ also said that a book inside a bag belonging to Bickford was found by authorities and contained a highlighted quote reading "Fight in the Name of Allah and in the Cause of Allah. Its ridiculous, why hes expelled. Yet she had been arrested seven times since March for carrying first knives and then the machete, with some incidents reportedly involving threats to harm others and even pepper-spraying one victim. Another hurt officer had just graduated from the police academy on Friday, and as is traditionally the case, his first assignment was the New Year's Eve detail in Times Square. On New Years Eve, Bickford went to Times Square, and walked around the area trying to figure out the right time to kill. Bickford started reciting verses from the Quran in his head to hype himself up for his attack. He criticized Yale for taking "no steps to correct these actions.". Suspect accused of attacking NYPD officers was on FBI watchlist. Incident now being treated by the government as a suspected terrorist . . The teenager accused of attacking NYPD officers with a knife on New Year's Eve now faces federal charges, the Department of Justice said.. Trevor Bickford was charged with four counts of attempted . The charges carry an aggregate potential sentence of 80 years in prison. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Market data provided by Factset. Recognize that with any force multiplier, you want to control distance. Community members held a meeting late Thursday to address the public safety concerns, KTTV reported. Investigators are also looking into whether Bickford may have stayed at a homeless shelter upon arrival, the four officials said. Official websites use .gov The team apologized. 2023 Cable News Network. We are deeply grateful for the bravery of the officers who were injured in this horrible attack and who put their lives on the line every day to serve their communities. Skills. Bickford was a 2022 graduate of Wells High School, where he wrestled and played football, according to the station. Bickford entered the security area of the Times Square checkpoint on New Years Eve, where he allegedly pulled out a machete, struck an officer with the blade and another officer in the head with the handle, authorities have said. At the spa he drew a 17-inch sword and killed receptionist Ashley Arzaga. The New York Police Department released an image of a knife they said had been recovered at the scene of an officer-involved shooting near Times Square on New Year's Eve. The report prompted the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force to look into the suspect, the law enforcement sources said. Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, said, "Let's think about those family members here who are in shock right now, never thinking the first call of the year would be their son, their husband, their family member would be here in Bellevue Hospital.". Bickford decided that he wanted to stay in the United States and not travel to the Middle East in order to "wage jihad against the U.S. Government within the United States," authorities said in a press release. The three officers were hospitalized in stable condition and have since been released. The FBIs New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies is investigating the case. [8], Barry fled the scene in a white Toyota Corolla and collided shortly thereafter with a Mercedes. [3], Barry immediately swung his machete to attack Debbie and Gerald Russell, both 43,[4] who were sitting in a booth near the front of the restaurant. Prosecutors detailed the fathers grisly injuries Wednesday, saying the machete attack left him disfigured with a cut tongue, a lost eye and cuts to his nose, ear and lip. Trevor Bickford, 19, suspected in the machete attack on three New York City police officers near Times Square on New Year's Eve, is pictured here in this undated photo. [1][7] Foley, the Russells, and Neil McMeekin all suffered injuries from the attack. Four senior law enforcement officialssaid the man is Trevor Bickford of Wells, Maine. STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images. An "unprovoked" machete attack on three New York City police officers near Times Square on New Year's Eve is being investigated as a possible terrorist incident. The attack happened shortly after 10 p.m. at West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, just outside checkpoints for the high-security zone set up for celebrants, officials said at a news conference early . Should authorities determine the attack was motivated by an Islamist ideology, it would make it the first terror incident associated with New Years Eve in Times Square, authorities said. Market data provided by Factset. That gesture triggered a backlash from student activists who accused the team of "supporting a rapist." Jonathan Dienst is chief justice contributor for NBC News and chief investigative reporter for WNBC-TV in New York. Legal Statement. As this video shows, though, if you cant stay out of range, get inside the range of the force multiplier. Surveillance video showed the perpetrator leaving his home by foot towards the spa which was less than two kilometres from his home. The man approached the first officer just after 10 p.m. Saturday and "attempted to strike him over the head with a machete," Sewell said. An "unprovoked" machete attack on three New York City police officers near Times Square on New Year's Eve is being investigated as a possible terrorist incident. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. [6][30][31] Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther told reporters that he hoped to persuade Barsani to stay in Columbus. A man is killed in a machete attack and two suspects shot and wounded by police in London, with footage emerging of a man with bloodied hands shouting political statements near the scene. We sincerely thank our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work and bravery, and especially wish a full and speedy recovery to the officers injured in this senseless attack., As alleged, three New York City Police Department officers were brutally assaulted in a jihad-inspired attack on New Years Eve while they were performing their duties to protect their city and those out celebrating the holiday, said FBI Director Christopher Wray. The attack was investigated as a possible instance of lone-wolf terrorism. We've received your submission. [5][6] Shafi Ali, an immigrant from Dubai and an employee of Nazareth Restaurant, then drove Barry off with a metal baseball bat. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NBC New York reported that Paul Cozzolino Jr. is the officer who suffered the fractured skull and that had just graduated from the police academy the day before the attack. He took an Amtrak train to New York City on Dec. 29, the sources said. Part of it, without question, is the no-bail law: The Brooklyn DAs Office says thats why she got sprung after two arrests in that borough, and while the Manhattan DAs Office declined comment, it surely faced the same barrier. A Warner Bros. The nature of that conversation has not been revealed by investigators. Bickford, according to a criminal complaint, told authorities during his interview that he said (Allahu) Akbar before he walked up and hit the officer over the head with the weapon. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The police department mounts a massive security operation every year during New Years Eve celebrations, deploying thousands of officers in the area around Times Square. All three officers were released from the hospital on Sunday. RANCHO CORDOVA A man is under arrest for the brutal machete attack Monday night on a cyclist in Rancho Cordova. When. One of the officer victims then shot Bickford in the shoulder, stopping his attack. Fox News' Stephen Sorace, Anders Hagstrom, and Jake Gibson contributed to this report. The suspect said in the diary he regrets disappointing his mother; he also wrote that he wanted his brothers to join him in his fight for Islam, they said. Barry first entered the restaurant at about 5:20p.m. and spoke to an employee. Malibu Mayor Paul Grisanti said he was shocked by the vicious, unprovoked attack on the visiting family. William Farrington More On: assault Mormon 'swinger' charged with domestic violence, child abuse Two more men. Neil McMeekin, at the 2nd table attacked, was able to get Barry off of Foley by hitting him with a chair. Officers were called to the Dollar Tree on reports that a man was in the store waving a machete and had attacked a worker. Mayor Eric Adams said at the news conferencethat he had spoken to one of the wounded officers. [35], In November 2016, following a car-ramming and stabbing attack at Ohio State University, Columbus Police Deputy Chief Michael Woods compared it to the restaurant attack committed by Barry as also a potential act of terrorism. A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office told NBC News Monday afternoon it is unclear when he will be arraigned "based on a number of factors.". Proactive law enforcement, the kind New York enjoyed for decades, prevents crime. The complaint in part contends he intended to kill military-aged men working for the US government and NYPD officers working with the FBI to protect revelers. [23], The Washington Post described Barsani as a "popular local figure" and his restaurant as a "multicultural mingling place"; a painting of a Christian, a Jew, and a Muslim in amicable conversation hangs on the wall. June 9, 2016. Another mass shooting.. The suspect is allegedly a 19-year-old man from Maine, whose online posts indicate recent Islamic radicalization, sources told ABC News. Legal Statement. No further information about them was immediately available, the Malibu Times reported. He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today, Adams said. In 2017, the White House said it was a terrorist attack. Discovery Company. Jack Montague attempts a shot during an NCAA college basketball game against SMU on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015, in Dallas. The 22-year-old senior's departure, which Yale has refused to confirm or explain, came as the basketball team closed in on its first berth in the NCAA Tournament in 54 years. ", Bickford also intended to die in the attack, authorities said, adding that he claimed that the attack was "unsuccessful" because he "did not kill any officers, and he did not die himself.". The FBI has not released details of their investigation into him, which took place four years before the attack. His mother and aunt notified law enforcement in recent weeks about their concerns he was gravitating toward dangerous Islamist ideologies, the sources said. U.S. Attorney Merrick Garland said "We are deeply grateful for the bravery of the officers who were injured in this horrible attack and who put their lives on the line every day to serve their communities. Bickford does not have a criminal record, the four officials said. The suspect earlier had caught the attention of the FBI, and he was interviewed by federal agents last month in Maine after he said he wanted to travel overseas to help fellow Muslims and was willing to die for his religion, multiple law enforcement officers have said. The suspect was taken into custody, she said. Barry left the restaurant afterwards and returned half an hour later, armed with a machete. COLUMBUS, Ohio --From the front door, the man with the machete didn't have a straight path to people in the booths at the small . It also said that he regretted disappointing his mother and that he hoped his brothers would join him in his fight for Islam, they said, adding that his background also contained terrorist-related propaganda and personal writings. or redistributed. A second PIT maneuver succeeded, and the vehicle crashed into a street curb. According to the allegations contained in the complaint charging the defendant: In the summer of 2022, Bickford, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen and resident of Maine, began accessing and consuming materials espousing radical Islamic ideology, including materials promoting the Taliban and reflecting the teachings of Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, a prominent radical Islamic cleric who was a spiritual mentor of al Qaeda. Bickford has no prior arrests. While a motive remains under investigation, authorities are not ruling out the possibility that the suspect came to New York City specifically to attack police officers at the Times Square ball drop, law enforcement sources told ABC News. The investigation was still in its early stages. 3.8K 215K views 11 months ago David has been attacked with a machete, Richard's chest pains are not indigestion, Neil has come off his motorbike at 100mph, and Jack fell a substantial height onto. About twenty people were inside the restaurant at the time of the attack. The NYPD released an image of a weapon, saying it had been recovered at the scene. Franck and another homeless man, Benjamin Mast, then proceeded to chase the family of five from the beach back to a parking lot near the Pacific Coast Highway, deputies told the Malibu Times. During this special event, the FBI and NYPD work together and assist each other in the performance of their respective duties, in a collective effort to ensure a safe Times Square New Years Eve celebration. Prosecutors have said the suspect traveled to New York in order to kill people and carry out jihad.. An entry in Bickfords journal from December 31, 2022that is, the day of his attackstates that this will likely be my last entry and that Bickford believed his brother, a soldier in the U.S. military, had joined the ranks of my enemy. A second bag that Bickford was carrying, also recovered by law enforcement near Times Square, contained a book espousing violent Islamic extremism, with certain portions highlighted, including the following: Fight in the Name of Allah and in the Cause of Allah.
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