Man convicted of assaulting 3 NYPD officers with machete on New Year’s Eve 2022 receives 27-year prison sentence
A man convicted of assaulting three New York City police officers with a machete on New Year’s Eve in 2022 has been handed a 27-year prison sentence, according to federal prosecutors' announcement on Thursday.
A man named Trevor Bickford, who attacked three New York City police officers with a machete on New Year's Eve in 2022, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison. This announcement was made by federal prosecutors on Thursday.
Bickford, who is 20 years old, admitted to his crimes in January. He pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder of officers and employees of the US government, as well as three counts of assault of officers and employees of the US government, as reported by CNN.
US Attorney Damian Williams stated on Thursday that Trevor Bickford carried out a brutal attack on three NYPD officers during the Times Square New Year's Eve celebrations. The officers were simply fulfilling their duty of protecting the public. Thanks to the quick thinking of one officer, the attack was stopped, preventing further harm to innocent bystanders who could have easily been caught in the violence.
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - DECEMBER 31: Police officers stand guard on a road after a 19-year-old assailant attacked three NYPD officers with a machete near Times Square during the new year celebrations in New York, United States on December 31, 2022. (Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Police officers were standing guard on a road in New York, United States on December 31. This was after a 19-year-old assailant attacked three NYPD officers with a machete near Times Square during the New Year celebrations. The incident was captured in a photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images.
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Williams emphasized that Bickford's conviction and sentence serve as a clear message that acts of terrorism will not be tolerated in New York City or the country, reaffirming our commitment to freedom and democracy.
CNN has contacted Bickford's attorney for a response.
Bickford, a US citizen and Maine resident, traveled to New York City with the intention of carrying out a violent attack, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
Trevor Bickford is seen in a Facebook photo.
Trevor Bickford is seen in a Facebook photo.
From Facebook
On December 31, 2022, Bickford went to the security area of the Times Square checkpoint. He took out a machete and attacked an officer with the blade and another officer with the handle, according to authorities. A third officer was also targeted with the blade but managed to shoot Bickford in the shoulder, as per police reports.
It was later revealed that Bickford confessed to a plan of targeting military-aged, government-employed men with the intention of becoming a martyr, as previously reported by CNN.
Before launching the attack, Bickford had read materials promoting racial Islamic beliefs and had fully embraced violent Islamic extremism and the idea of carrying out jihad in New York City, as stated by the US Attorney's Office.
Initially planning to go abroad to aid the Taliban, he later shifted his focus to orchestrating an attack within the United States, according to the statement released.
