NEW YORK A 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 after he became determined to wage jihad. That voice played a key role in the incident on Seventh Avenue, Mr. De Marco, the defense lawyer, told jurors during his summation, saying that a godlike person called James commands him to crash his car into people., Hes following a command from a supernatural being, Mr. De Marco added. "The Netherlands Embassy has assisted the victim, and after receiving . "But the alternative is we continue to experience the weekly shootings or other mass casualty attacks that we seem to be experiencing today. As neighbors describe the officer hurt in the attack as a caring young man, there are also questions about whether the suspect in the New Year's Eve machete melee may have tried to reach for an officer's gun. Investigators spent much of the weekend searching the suspect's family home in Wells, Maine. "We believe this was a sole individual. A New Years Eve machete attack on police officers near Manhattans Times Square is being investigated by the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force. The concussed officer had just graduated from the police academy Friday, and his first assignment was the New Years Eve detail in Times Square, she said. Times Square was targeted for a terrorist attack in May 2010, when a Pakistani immigrant tried to detonate a car bomb in the Crossroads of the World. NBC Universal, Inc. Police working New Year's Eve detail in Times Square were wounded by a machete-wielding man who struck multiple officers in the head in what law enforcement are. I said 'Allauh Akbar.' "The male then struck two additional officers in the head with the machete.". After he allegedly dropped the knife, Nicholas said Bickford indicated he wanted to grab another officer's gun to kill other people but couldn't get the weapon out of the holster. The injured police were out of the hospital and expected to recover. Upon arrival in New York the suspect made a large donation with the cash to the Bowery Mission, which investigators believe was meant to satisfy a Muslim tenet of charity. "I cannot even describe how bad it was. One round, and they went back to protecting the people of this city," Adams said. A month after an insane attack on Times Square by a driver who ploughed through a crowd killing a woman and injuring 22 people, thousands brought an outpouring of peace through yoga on. It adds terrorism charges to theoffenses he was already facing, which include two counts of attempted murder of a police officer, as well as two counts of attempted assault. Both federal and local law enforcement stressed at Sunday morning's news conference the attack appeared to be an isolated incident and there was no longer a threat. They said that after his arrest, he said he was self-radicalized and that he had converted his beliefs about three or four months ago, officials said. Times Square bomber gets life prison term. On May 18, 2017, a car was crashed in Times Square, New York City, United States.One person was killed and 20 were injured. John Cohen, a former U.S. Department of Homeland Security acting undersecretary for intelligence, said the case is the latest in a string of attacks nationwide where law enforcement made contact with a suspect prior to an attack and assessed the potential for them to carry out a violent act. According to sources, the mother and aunt of Trevor Bickford notified law enforcement in recent weeks about their concerns he was gravitating toward dangerous Islamist ideologies. 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. "It's just kind of hard to believe. The bomb never went off, and Faisal. Early Morning Times Square Attack Leaves 2 Teens With Injuries: NYPD NBC New York 08:47 15-Feb-23 Cardi B and Offset pop by Times Square McDonald's for a Valentine's Day snack Complete Music Update 05:22 15-Feb-23 Cardi B & Offset Mobbed At Times Square McDonald's Valentine's Date All Hip-Hop 03:29 15-Feb-23 FBI agents with court authorization searched the man's home in Maine on Sunday, an agency spokesperson said. Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The rookie officer was also struck in the head, resulting in a skull fracture and large laceration, officials said. NBC New York's Myles Miller reports. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. 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. FBI Assistant Director in Charge Mike Driscoll said the bureau's Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved to "ascertain what is the nature of the attack." 1:15. "And then you hear a gunshot, and it just went crazy. Prosecutors countered that even if Mr. Rojas had been experiencing delusions during the incident, he was competent enough to know that he was harming people. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Monday prohibited television news channels from covering terrorist attacks, Pakistan based The News International Newspaper reported. Omar Mateen, who in 2016 killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, was allowed to legally purchase an AR-style rifle and a handgun, despite his name appearing on a federal watch list after being interviewed three times by the FBI in the years leading up to the massacre at the gay nightclub, according to authorities. Bickford was a 2022 graduate of Wells High School, where he wrestled and played football, according to the station. Mr. Rojas also told doctors that the police should have shot him and was heard saying while in custody, Im never getting out, Mr. Peterson added, pointing to those statements as further evidence that Mr. Rojas knew he had committed crimes. Were dealing with individuals, all of which, regardless of the motive, are experiencing somewhat consistent behavioral health issues.". The Times Square assault on three New York City police officers came just weeks after the suspect, 19-year-old Trevor Bickford of Maine, was placed on a federal watch list, authorities said. Authorities say Bickford whipped out a machete and attacked the three officers, striking two of them in the head. The male then struck two additional officers in the head with the machete. Sewell said the attack was unprovoked. Nicholas also argued that he poses a "significant flight risk," telling the court Bickford indicated he intended to travel across the United States after leaving New York City and had bought an Amtrak ticket to Miami. The NYPD mounts a massive security operation every year to keep the New Years Eve crowd safe. Thursday, March 2, 2023 Sewell said the man dealt two of the officers blows to the head, giving an 8-year veteran a head laceration and a recent police academy graduate a skull fracture. The attacks occurred outside the security screening area set up around Times Square for the traditional New Years Eve ball drop. Trevor Bickford, whom senior law enforcement officials have described as a "homegrown violent extremist," is accused of swinging a large knife at three different cops he approached on Eighth Avenue, between 51st and 52nd streets, just after 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve, a night when midtown streets are jam-packed with tourists and holiday revelers. One of the injured officers only graduated from the police academy that Friday, the mayor said. In a public statement made announcing the . Trusted News Discovery Since 2008. Security guards failed to intervene while a man kicked and stomped on a 65-year-old woman near Times Square, yelling, "You don't belong here." Protesters gathered outside the West 43rd Street. A man charged with attacking police with a machete near New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve has been transferred to U.S. custody and made his initial court appearance. She said he traveled to New York by way of Boston roughly three or four days ago. 2023 FOX Television Stations, allegedly attacked three police officers with a machete, Kylie Jenners ex Travis Scott nightclub incident: New York police investigating alleged bar brawl, West Virginia governor signs new carry bill, allowing for guns on public college, university campuses, Rep. 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Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States, Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police . For Estonia, the news represents a significant turning point in a long and difficult history for the country's Jewish community. The New York Police Department has seen other lone wolf terrorist-type attacks on officers. Photos of Ukrainian civilians and servicemen stopped office workers as they returned from lunch in Seoul on Friday. All the officers are expected to survive and return home shortly. Were not dealing with a group of sophisticated, ideologically motivated foreign terrorists. Witnesses said the driver, Richard Rojas, tried to flee but was quickly apprehended. He then struck two officers in the head with the blade before he was shot in the shoulder and apprehended by police, Sewell said. Times Square Ball Mystery Brews: Where Did 2023' Go? 4 min read. Then we pay respect and honor the fallen as we visit the September 11th Museum and Memorial. Chinatown apartment building evacuated due to bulging faade, Long Island home destroyed after car drives through it, Explosive found in checked luggage at Pa. airport, man in custody. Jiji. / CBS New York. Trevor Bickford, 19, is expected to be arraigned on attempted murder charges soon. The authority`s directives came after its earlier directives on the issue urging TV channels to adhere to the Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015. The investigation was still in its early stages. Counsel also referenced the Wells man's community ties and said he worked at a golf course. The New York Police Department released video on Sunday showing an unidentified Black male seen wearing a black zip up jacket and gray or white sweatpants rush up behind a woman at. ground.news. 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.". His name is in a federal law enforcement database, they said, and he was known to investigators for his social media postings. Early Monday, authorities were in and out of the suspect's home in Wells, Maine. Times Square bomber sentenced, warns of additional attacks. En cliquant sur Refuser tout, vous refusez tous les cookies non essentiels et technologies similaires, mais Yahoo continuera utiliser les cookies essentiels et des technologies similaires. Trevor Bickford's neighbors in his Maine hometown shocked by his alleged conversion to Islam, attack on NYPD cops on New Year's Eve. ), ALSO READ | 'Eyewitness to 2022,' examining the stories that defined the year, * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts. Bickford has no prior arrests. Anderson Lee Aldrich, who allegedly killed five people and wounded 17 others at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs in November, had been arrested in 2021 on allegations of making a bomb threat that led to the evacuation of about 10 homes. They believe it belonged to Bickford. One of the officers fired their weapon, striking the suspect in the shoulder, Sewell said. The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a think tank that tracks and analyzes online extremism, terrorism and disinformation, released a briefing on the attack Monday, explaining that Jihadist groups were promoting low-tech attacks and targeting law enforcement in the runup to New Year's Eve. "Wells is a very small community and you think, you know, 'Did this really just happen here?' Investigators trying to pinpoint motive in NYPD machete attack, Suspect charged with attempted murder in New Year's Eve machete attack. Home. Another mass shooting.. "We're still, from an investigator's perspective, looking for that Mohamed Atta," said Cohen, referring to one of the hijackers in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. May 21, 2021 at 6:46 pm Expand Joseph Borgen, pictured, said anti-Semitic assailants appeared out of nowhere Thursday at the corner of W. 48th St. and Seventh Ave. in Times Square, Manhattan,. The nearby New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square was not impacted. When a verdict of not responsible by reason of mental disease or defect is entered, state law requires a judge to order that the defendant undergo a psychiatric examination. Police provide a photo of machete allegedly belonging to 19-year-old suspect. They are expected to recover. The decision in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan was one of only a few recent instances in which a jury found that the illness outweighed evidence of guilt.Its a humane verdict, one of Mr. Rojass lawyers, Enrico De Marco, said as he left the courthouse. Sewell said the attack was unprovoked. John Dias is an Emmy-nominated reporter. Richard Rojas, a Navy veteran, spiraled after he was discharged. He was recently placed on an FBI terror watch list, according to a high-ranking police source. Neighbors told NBC affiliate WCSH of Portland, Maine, that the suspect is the child of divorced parents and has two siblings. "I acknowledge that it requires additional training, it requires resources, it requires a different way of looking at these issues," Cohen said. NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell has said two of the cops suffered blows to the head. "The school resource officer went to the threat management unit, which did a threat assessment and deemed the person to be high risk," Cohen said. He is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and two counts of attempted assault. I charged another officer but dropped the knife and I tried to get the police officer's gun but couldn't," Bickford allegedly told detectives. The suspect was taken into custody, she said. By Kanishka Singh(Reuters) - The teenager accused of attacking three policemen with a machete on New Year's Eve near Times Square and charged with. 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. A diary found by investigators may have indicated the suspect believed he was on a suicide mission: He left notes about who would inherit belongings and where he wanted to be buried, the sources said. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. If the court finds that the defendant has a dangerous mental disorder, it must then issue an order committing the defendant to the custody of the state commissioner of mental health. Experience the home that molds then men and women that protect our nation - West Point Military Academy. Associated Press. Bickford was taken into custody after being shot in the shoulder by a police officer. WASHINGTON To mark a full year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US today announced another $2 billion in weapons for Kyiv, including three types of drones that are not publicly known to have been sent before.. Federal and local law enforcement investigators are combing through the suspect's online postings, which indicate recent extremist Islamic radicalization, the sources said. The Boston Marathon bombing was a domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Large bags and coolers are banned from the area, while barriers are set up to prevent vehicle attacks in the secure area. They look at individuals holistically. On Saturday night, Bickford allegedly attacked two NYPD police officers on Eighth Avenue between 51st and 52nd Street, right outside Times Square where thousands of revelers were ringing in the. The horrifying episode unfolded at 9:40 a.m . "But after that we heard the gunshots and once I heard the gunshots, everyone was like rushing to the back of the building, people trying to get in, people trying to get out," owner Mike Sicilano said. 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