The would-be Islamic terrorist who attacked multiple NYPD officers with a machete near the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square has been identified as 19-year-old Trevor Bickford (photo below), multiple law enforcement sources said Sunday. Police are probing whether the suspect is a recently radicalized Islamic extremist.
NY Post The alleged terrorist who attacked multiple NYPD officers with a machete near the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square has been identified as 19-year-old Trevor Bickford, multiple law enforcement sources said Sunday.
The cops were working the security detail when two of them were struck in the head with a large knife in what police are investigating as a possible targeted attack around 10 p.m., the sources said.
A rookie cop was slashed in the head, prompting another cop to shoot the suspect. The rookie cop, identified by Mayor Eric Adams as Paul, was struck on the head, prompting another cop to shoot the suspect, striking him in the shoulder, the sources said. Paul suffered a large laceration and skull fracture, Sewell said. One of the other cops, an eight-year veteran, was also struck on the head with the weapon and suffered a laceration.
One of the cops shot Bickford, who lives in Wells, Maine, in the shoulder, after he attacked them on Eighth Avenue between 51st and 52nd Street, the sources said. Charges were pending against Bickford Sunday morning. He remained hospitalized at Bellevue, cops said.
The attack was “unprovoked,” Adams said at the press conference.
Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell described the weapon as a “large knife,” and cops released a photo that showed it was 18 inches long.
The suspect, a 19-year-old later identified by law enforcement sources as Trevor Bickford, was arrested and taken to Bellevue Hospital. Senior law enforcement officials told The Post that cops are investigating whether he is a recently radicalized Islamic extremist, based on online postings.
Police are working with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force to investigate the shocking attack. A motive was not immediately clear. “No backpacks or umbrellas in Times Square. They forgot to mention machetes,” a police source told The Post.
Police sources said the FBI in Boston has an open case on him and he is on something called a guardian list because of his radicalization. Bickford’s aunt notified authorities because he apparently made statements to her indicating a desire to go fight in Afghanistan, police sources said.
UPDATE: The recent Muslim convert who allegedly targeted the NYPD as “enemy of the state,” expressed Islamic extremist beliefs on social media, making threats that he was going to attack a public official.” “It’s being investigated as a terror attack, 100%,” one high-ranking NYPD official confirmed.
NY Post (h/t VMS) The 19-year-old alleged Islamic radical suspected in the New Year’s Eve machete attack on NYPD cops had specifically sought to target “a uniformed officer” or someone armed because he believed them to be an “enemy of the state,” sources told The Post on Sunday.
Trevor Bickford, of Wells, Maine, allegedly went to Midtown on Saturday night to assault police officers or “someone with a gun,” the sources said he told the feds after his arrest. The suspect allegedly said he’d hatched the plot as recently as Friday, according to sources.
Bickford “found the Islamic religion” after his father’s overdose death in 2018 and became radicalized as recently as a month ago, according to sources. He was already on an FBI terrorism watchlist after his mother and aunt tipped off the agency about his allegedly Islam-related extremist views, the sources said.
The jihadist-wannabe was a “lone wolf” who did not appear to be affiliated with any particular Islamic extremist group, but noted the investigation is still active and ongoing with cops combing through his cellphone and computer, the sources said. He apparently had planned to travel to Afghanistan to join Islamic militants, according to sources — but instead traveled to New York alone, arriving on Dec. 29, and was staying at the Bowery Mission.
He ventured into Times Square on Saturday, walked up to the cops without notice and began swinging the weapon, a type of machete known as a Gurkha, according to police and sources.
Sources said he carried a diary and a disturbing manifesto urging his family to “repent to Allah and accept Islam.” The handwritten note specifically names his brothers, Travis and Devon, who is in the US Marine Corps, according to the sources. He carried the handwritten note in his backpack, along with a collection of religious Islamic material and $200 while staying at the Bowery Mission in Manhattan, the sources said.
“To my family — specifically, mother — I’m sorry for not having been a good enough son,” the note read, according to a police source.
“I fear greatly that you will not repent to Allah,” it said. “And therefore I hold hope in my heart that a piece of you believes so that you may be taken out to the hellfire.
“To [my brother] Travis. Of anyone I’ve known who I have felt is closest to faith — it’s you,” he allegedly wrote. “Of anyone I’ve ever wanted to accept Islam with me — it’s you. Please repent to Allah and accept Islam. I fear for you.
Addressing his other brother Devon — who is in the Marines — he wrote, “To Devon, there was a time when we were close, but that time has passed. You have joined the ranks of my enemy. And for that I can give you no kind words – return to Allah.”
WildChild says
Sounds like Devon and his Marine buddies need to have a little come to Jesus meeting with the satanic little ingrate.
BareNakedIslam says
He must be mortified 😖
Toxic White Male says
seriously? you have to ask????
Daniel Erbstoesser says
All of the killing, rapeing and more are nothing more than the outcome of the no nations no borders bullshit that the greenleftwing is doing. Think one time that if the politics would not have broken our laws of our countries then we would not have these problems in our countries and many of our fellow landsmen would be alive today or all of the raped and beaten women would not be raped or beaten had only the politics stayed by our laws. The faulty ones are our goverments and when the gov. is faulty what do you do??????. answer you get rid of them but we , we watch as they burn down our civilization and that for what??.
Pray Hard says
Wudja look at dat, another whigh ‘premacist! Too bad the police didn’t put a couple in his head.
Me 'Watching The Mosque Burn' says
That piece of crap, muslime convert or not deserves only one of two things, a needle in the arm or a bullet in the head.
Charles Black says
Erdogan did say that there is only Islam. Which means this is exactly what Islam is about.
Az gal says
Another nutwad Muslum. Not “extremacist”, just Muslum. The police have to become better shots.
Rebel Patriot says
A decent looking young man destroyed by the scourge of Islam. His life is over.
BareNakedIslam says
I wonder if he is a convert because his name isn’t Muslim
canuckguynbgmailcom says
I was thinking the same thing. Also maybe one or both of his parents are converts. Anyway, just more evidence that islam is a vile vicious ideology.
BareNakedIslam says
Converts are often the most dangerous because they think they have to prove their Islam bonifides to their fellow Muslims.
sixlittlerabbits says
His mother and aunt reported him to the authorities when he wanted to go to Afghanistan. I don’t think Muslim converts would do this. No mention of his father–is Dad dead or even in the home?
BareNakedIslam says
He’s the only Muslim convert in the family.
Jack Rider says
His father died of a drug overdose. I think the radicalization process effectively targets individuals i serious psychological situations, like grief or parental disappointments, and points them to islam as the cure all for their discontent. They grab it because they do not have effective counseling to expose the manipulations and lies. He signed a note with his new muslim name and the police recovered it from his bag. Thems the sordid facts.
sixlittlerabbits says
Dad died of a drug overdose in 2018 according to the NY Post; https://nypost.com/2023/01/01/alleged-islamic-extremist-who-attacked-nypd-cops-with-machete-idd/
Tim h says
Cut him up bit by bit then send his parts to cair. Ceo and with a letter look what you made us do..Well he will not shagging any family or animals now or kiddies.
VMS says
You forgot to smear each part with used lard or bacon grease before the delivery.
All Moslems are scum of the earth, or else they wouldn’t be Moslems. Christianity, Judaism, and all religions of which I am aware, strive to build a better world and to maintain peace. In contrast, Islam teaches its followers to kill and to destroy in the name of false prophet Muhammad, may piss be upon him, and imaginary blessings of martyrdom. Too bad the officer that shot the terrorist in the shoulder didn’t do a full mag dump into his thoracic region.
Daniel Erbstoesser says
i like the other way then to smear bacon on him is work and i dont like to touch shit (not the bacon). My idea is free and for all to use and here she is. After the work just reach in your back pocket and pull the hot dog out and that hot dog you stick up his ass and send him to his allah. Easy and for all to use.
Classy Infidel says
He was hoping the police would kill him, I think. I see no other point of stabbing people in the head or in the chest other than wanting to kill them.
No other religion on the planet produces people that act that way after converting. Beware of recent converts.
ME Infidel says
A jihadist from my own backyard here in Maine? It can’t be since he’s posing with an impure dog which the ProMo hated (except for hunting dogs) So, he must be mentally ill.
sixlittlerabbits says
I noticed the dog too. Maybe he doesn’t know Muslimes hate and slaughter man’s best friend?
Easterndmondbk says
It could be said, it also can be said, that it was an act of jihad against “Kafir” more to the point, it was an act of jihad against the representation of law outside Sharia. Although it is NOT directly mentioned in the Quran
45:18 is as close as it ever gets
Pray Hard says
Uh, yes.
Betty says
His family must be horrified..
Glad officers are o.k..but there’s no damn reason for their being hurt..stand with the blue..
Now it’s society’s turn to stand for JUSTICE..
R.Lopaka says
kukri knife