Terrorist-related propaganda and personal writings were found in his backpack, they said. He joined CBS2 News in November 2017. Download this stock image: New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly discusses Saturday evening's Times Square incident during a news conference at One Police Plaza, Sunday May 2, 2010 in New York. 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. Outside the courthouse, Thomas Elsman, the father of Alyssa, said that the verdict was more than disappointing. Multiple law enforcement sources identified the suspect as Trevor Bickford, 19, of Wells, Maine. 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The incident took place at around 4:30 a.m. in the area of 162 W 43rd St. Police. The news was announced at the annual CTeen Jewish pride takeover of Times Square, where 3,000 teens from 30 countries across the globe joined together for a Jewish Pride concert and inspirational event. "It just goes to show you, it could be your first day or it could be your last day, the actions that police officers must take every day are life-threatening situations," Adams said. SHARE. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Finally, hes going to get the care he really needs.. Watch as Police Commissioner Sewell & Mayor Adams provide an update on a police involved incident in Manhattan. "All three of the officers are in stable conditions and there are no critical threats to New Yorkers at this time.". A year before he killed eight people at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis in 2021, Brandon Scott Hole was taken into custody by police and temporarily placed in a mental detention facility for further assessment after his mother complained he assaulted her when she asked what he was going to do with the gun, officials said. Trevor Bickford's mom reported his terrorist leanings to police weeks before Times Square attack. "All three of the officers are in stable conditions," Mayor Eric Adams said. The NYPD released an image of a weapon, saying it had been recovered at the scene. "I wanted to kill an officer in uniform. Trusted News Discovery Since 2008. It was discovered in a wooded area, along with a bag containing food and a sleeping bag. Expert contends protocols for evaluating potential suspects are "out of date.". "Like, I'm sure in the back of all of our minds, now this could be a target for, you know, shooting. 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. Police provide photo of machete allegedly belonging to 19-year-old suspect. Investigators were probing whether he stayed at a homeless shelter downtown, the four officials said. The attack happened a little after 10 p.m. about eight blocks from Times Square, just outside the high-security zone where revelers are screened for weapons. Federal and local authorities are digging into the background of 19-year-old Trevor Bickford, who allegedly attacked a group of NYPD officers outside a security screening zone in Times Square just after 10 p.m. Saturday, multiple law enforcement sources said. They look at individuals holistically. Confetti falls at midnight on the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration, in New York You can always.. US One News Page: Wednesday, 23 September 2020 . Photos of Ukrainian civilians and servicemen stopped office workers as they returned from lunch in Seoul on Friday. The 19-year-old Maine man charged with trying to murder NYPD officers in a New Year's Eve machete attack near Times Square shortly before the iconic ball drop was remanded to Department of . The attack is being investigated as a possible incident of terrorism because of online postings Bickford made before the attack. His name is in a federal law enforcement database, they said, and he was known to investigators for his social media postings. A neighbor in Maine, Steve Isles, told reporters Bickford has two brothers, and they're well known in the neighborhood. We're learning more about the suspect, 19-year-old Trevor Bickford, as federal investigators continue to look into whether the attack was terror-related. Pour en savoir plus sur notre utilisation de vos informations, veuillez consulter notre Politique relative la vie prive et notre Politique en matire de cookies. Mar 1, 2023. "And then you hear a gunshot, and it just went crazy. Bickford does not have a criminal record, the four officials said. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams) - 2NDW2TY from Alamy's library of . He then struck two officers in the head with the blade before he was shot in the shoulder and apprehended by police, Sewell said. The weapon appeared to be a Gurkha knife, a type of curved blade, according to ABC News contributor Darrell M. Blocker, a retired CIA operative. The security perimeter can only extend so far, though. "They're all telling us to go towards the viewing area for the ball drop and everybody's running, everybody's panicking," Lyugovski said. Authorities believe Bickford has owned the weapon for about a year. All rights reserved, Multiple Cats Found With Horrific Injuries in NYC May Have Been Tortured, Rescuers Say, Nasty Winter Storm Eyes NYC Area: Torrential, 40 MPH Winds and Snow Expected Over 12-Hour Siege, This 26-Year-Old Pays $0 to Live in a Luxury Tiny Home' She Built for $35,000 in Her Backyard Take a Look Inside, Kylie Jenner's Ex, Rapper Travis Scott, Wanted in $12,000 Manhattan Nightclub Mayhem, Winter Storm May Bring More NYC Snow Friday and a Complex Mess to Millions: What to Expect. Afterward, Mr. Peterson said, Mr. Rojas fought with a traffic agent and tried to flee, showing that he was thinking: I did something wrong and I need to get away.. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The man, who made pro-jihadist statements from his hospital bed overnight, is believed to have traveled from Wells to lower Manhattan on Thursday mainly via Amtrak, those sources said. Times Square bomber sentenced, warns of additional attacks. There was Jessica Williams, a high school senior in Midtown who was on her senior skip day; her spine detached from her pelvis. Trevor Bickford, the 19-year-old suspect charged in the Times Square attack on NYPD officers. 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. Moments after the attack, Bickford was shot in the shoulder by police. The suspect was known to federal agents, who interviewed him in mid-December after a relative alerted them to his revolutionary support for Islam, four law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation said. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. Police sources said the alleged attacker's injuries are also non-life-threatening. Anyone can read what you share. Many defendants in the American legal system suffer from mental illness, treated or untreated. https://t.co/Waaux2hUTt pic.twitter.com/EijU7QUgkQ. The attack and sound of a gunshot briefly sent some people in the crowd running, but the incident did not impact the festivities in Times Square, which continued uninterrupted. A teenager accused of attacking three police officers with a machete near Times Square on New Year's Eve is now facing federal terrorism charges after authorities allege he intended on waging a. CBS2's Tim McNicholas spoke to that officer briefly Monday. The FBI evaluated Bickford when his mother informed the agency he was gravitating toward Islamic extremism, officials said. Investigators are looking into whether the suspect came to the annual ball drop specifically to wage an attack on law enforcement, the sources said. Police sources say the bomb squad responded to a suspicious package Sunday in Forest Park, Queens that may have been tied to the case. AP. Prosecutors said he was culpable, but failed to sway jurors in the 2017 attack that left one dead and injured nearly two dozen. The FBI's Joint Terrorism task Force is also investigating. Federal and local law enforcement investigators are combing through the suspect's online postings, which indicate recent extremist Islamic radicalization, the sources said. His mother and aunt notified law enforcement in recent weeks about their concerns he was gravitating toward dangerous Islamist ideologies, the sources said. "The attack follows a series of media announcements and propaganda from ISIS affiliates globally that were encouraging supporters to conduct lone actor attacks on targets such as airports and security services," ISD analysts wrote. Another video obtained by CBS2 shows more than 20 police officer running on 52nd Street toward the crime scene. The 19-year-old Maine man charged with trying to murder NYPD officers in a New Year's Eve machete attack near Times Square shortly before the iconic ball drop was remanded to Department of Correction custody following his video arraignment from a hospital on Wednesday. After the suspect's mother flagged her son's gravitation toward Islamic extremism last month, the FBI interviewed Bickford and determined he sought to travel to Afghanistan to fight for the cause, law enforcement sources told ABC News. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I said 'Allauh Akbar.' His reality is altered by his acute psychotic state.. 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. Another mass shooting.. Police have closed down the immediate area for their investigation. Associated Press. Here's a rundown of this wonderful program: Day One: After an early morning departure we arrive at West . The mother of the 19-year-old man accused of slashing two NYPD cops with a machete near Times Square on New Year's Eve had reported his sudden and inexplicable terrorist leanings to their local police department in southern Maine three weeks before the Global Edition. Prior to New Years Eve, the NYPD noted in a pre-event assessment that throughout December "multiple pro-ISIS users disseminated extremist propaganda graphics broadly calling for attacks in advance of the New Year, advocating a wide range of low-tech tactics." So everybody kind of knows everybody.". As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The Times Square attack was not Mr. Rojass first encounter with the law. "So, they no-flyed him. The withdrawal and the purchase suggest premeditation, sources said. For now, we ask the public to refrain from drawing hasty conclusions and to respect the privacy of our clients family.". ground.news. "We believe this was a sole individual at this time, there's nothing to suggest otherwise," said Mike Driscoll, assistant director in charge of the New York FBI Field Office. 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 . In Jamaica Queens in 2014, a radicalized man named Zale Thompson attacked three officerswithout warning with a hatchet, nearly killing one of the officers. The attacks occurred outside the security screening area set up around Times Square for the traditional New Years Eve ball drop. He seemed to be in good spirits and said he is feeling OK, resting up at home with his family. Mr. Rojass rampage through one of the citys most crowded areas lasted only minutes, but caused intense panic, conjuring comparisons to an attempted car bombing in Times Square in 2010 and to episodes in which terrorists used automobiles as weapons. One officer suffered a fractured skull, another was treated for a bad cut. Authorities identified the suspect at the news conference only as a 19-year-old man. ", Cohen added, "Thats why we continue to see instances where people come to the attention of the bureau or law enforcement, theyre assessed that way, they dont meet that threshold, they dont become the subject of a full-field investigation, yet they go out and commit an act of violence.". The male then struck two additional officers in the head with the machete. Sewell said the attack was unprovoked. The knife attack and gunfire startled a long line of crowds waiting to join the NYE celebrations. "People trying to get into the store, people rushing out," said Fiorentina Pizzeria owner Mike Sicilliano. Steering a person in a different direction early on may mean offering assistance to someone who needs it before that person concludes violence is necessary.". IE 11 is not supported. Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report. Mr. Rojas killed one person, Alyssa Elsman, 18, from Michigan, who was visiting New York City with relatives, and seriously injured several others, including Alyssas 13-year-old sister, Ava, who was treated for a collapsed lung and broken pelvis. 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. The report adds, "By engaging in the assessment and management process as soon as a person of concern is identified, threat managers are more likely to succeed in preventing a violent outcome. A prosecutor, Alfred Peterson, in his summation, reprised the grievous injuries suffered by several people Mr. Rojas struck with his car, some of whom had testified. He said that the FBI believes the attacker was acting alone. https://t.co/ha11b02Fvq. ___ The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, noted in a release after the verdict that Mr. Rojas would remain in custody. The NYPD released a photo of the weapon they said was used to attack officers on New Year's Eve. "I cannot even describe how bad it was. He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.". Jiji. In 2014, a radicalized man attacked three officers with a hatchet without warning in Queens. The rookie officer was also struck in the head, resulting in a skull fracture and large laceration, officials said. "It has become increasingly clear that the protocols used by federal and local authorities to assess the risk posed by individuals who exhibit threat-related behaviors is out of date and inconsistent with the current threat facing the nation," said Cohen, now an ABC News contributor. "Wells is a very small community and you think, you know, 'Did this really just happen here?' 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. George Santos sponsors his first bill, Airbnb renting out Paris theater that inspired 'Phantom of the Opera', Surgeon runs down Philadelphia street to retrieve organ from transport vehicle stuck in traffic, Pilot thought instructor who died during flight was 'just pretending', Hamptons trailer park home sells for $3.75M, Long-lost Ironton ship found in Lake Huron, confirming tragic story, Baby seal released after crossing NJ highway with police help. The attacks occurred outside the security screening area set up around Times Square for the traditional New Year's Eve ball drop. One of the officers involved in the incident had graduated from the police academy on Friday, Sewell said. Mr. Rojas spent two months inside a Navy brig and in 2014 received what the Navy called an other than honorable discharge. Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. By John Dias, Tim McNicholas, Alice Gainer, Updated on: January 2, 2023 / 11:33 PM The three officers who were wounded are recovering at home. "The way you know they (the FBI) took the traditional approach is they viewed the primary threat as his travel to Afghanistan," Cohen said. One of the injured officers only graduated from the police academy that Friday, the mayor said. A deranged homeless man allegedly shoved an Asian woman to her death in front of an oncoming subway train Saturday morning in Times Square, police said. The suspect, reportedly from Maine, had no previous arrest record, but was known to federal and local law enforcement because of previous online postings, police sources told NBC and ABC News. https://t.co/ha11b02Fvq. He remains hospitalized. In Saturday's attack, the officers were initially hospitalized, one with a fractured skull and another with a bad cut, Sewell said. Richard Rojas, a Navy veteran, spiraled after he was discharged. By contrast, he noted a recent case in Maryland, where a teenager posted on Instagram that he wanted to shoot up his high school and was reported to a school resource officer by classmates. Japan's revised three key national security documents, which now clarify the possession of so-called counterstrike capabilities, are expected to boost the country's . They weren't really close, they weren't close friends or whatever. Bickford has no prior arrests. Vous pouvez modifier vos choix tout moment en consultant vos paramtres de vie prive. 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. "He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.". Bickford was a 2022 graduate of Wells High School, where he wrestled and played football, according to the station. The attack happened near 52nd Street and 8th Avenue just after 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve, less than two hours before the ball dropped in Times Square to ring in 2023. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is assisting in the investigation. NYC Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference Sunday that he had spoken to one of the wounded officers as he was being treated at the hospital. The Dutch Embassy in Cairo issued a statement saying a 22-year-old Dutch woman was attacked in Tahrir Square on Friday night. He could still face federal terrorism charges. "It was nuts for about a good hour," Hell's Kitchen resident Stefan Shanni told CBS2. The suspect was then shot in the shoulder and wounded by police. NBC New York's Ida Siegal reports. Mr. De Marco also told jurors that Mr. Rojas had not made the statement about wanting to kill people that the police attributed to him. 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