New Year’s Eve machete suspect indicted by grand jury
Ryan King
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Trevor Bickford, the suspect accused in a machete rampage during New York City’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration, was indicted Friday.
A New York grand jury returned an indictment of 18 criminal counts for various charges, including murder and terrorism, against the 19-year-old suspect, the Manhattan district attorney announced. The charges include three counts of attempted murder, one count of aggravated assault, and other counts pertaining to assault.
TREVOR BICKFORD CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER OF NYPD OFFICER IN NEW YEAR’S EVE MACHETE ATTACK
“We are grateful for our NYPD officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, as well as our Joint Terrorism Task Force partners,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declared in a statement. “All eyes are on Times Square on New Year’s Eve, and these charges reflect the seriousness of this alleged threat to the safety of our city and our officers.”
Bickford allegedly attacked three New York Police Department officers with an 18-inch knife near Times Square, which had been secured for New Year’s Eve festivities. He was arrested shortly thereafter and charged with attempted murder.
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His attorney, Rosemary Vassallo-Vellucci, stressed that he should be presumed innocent.
Investigators believe he was motivated by Islamic extremism. He had been on law enforcement’s radar prior to the attack, per authorities.
“I wanted to kill an officer in uniform,” he allegedly told police, according to ABC. “I saw the officer and waited until he was alone. I said, ‘Allahu Akbar.’ I walked up and hit him over the head with a kukri. I charged another officer but dropped the knife, and I tried to get the police officer’s gun but couldn’t.”
Bickford is thought to have traveled from Maine to the Big Apple via train on Dec. 29, according to the report.
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The victims of the attack were transported to the hospital and subsequently released, the NYPD said.