Michael Driscoll, the assistant director in charge of the FBIs New York field office, said the FBI's Joint Terrorist Task Force in New York City was investigating, but investigators believe the attacker acted alone. Jiji. At approximately 10:10 p.m., at 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue, blocks away from the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, BICKFORD attacked three NYPD officers, who were detailed to the joint federal-state law enforcement operation to protect the New Year's Eve celebration. Officials believed the suspect acted alone, and the FBI says there is no ongoing threat. The New York Police Department has seen other lone wolf terrorist-type attacks on officers. Authorities in New York City say the 19-year-old suspect who allegedly attacked three police officers with a machete at a New Years Eve celebration near Times Square, striking two of them, now faces terrorismcharges. NEW YORK - A man accused of attacking police with a machete near New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve was arrested on charges of attempting to murder officers, authorities . 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The report prompted the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force to look into the suspect, the law enforcement sources said. The investigation was still in its early stages. 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. An "unprovoked" machete attack on three New York City police officers near Times Square on New Year's Eve is being investigated as a possible terrorist incident. Times Square knife attack suspect wanted to kill uniformed officers and 'carry out jihad,' prosecutors say 19-year-old suspect allegedly yelled 'Allahu akbar' before charging at NYPD officers. The FBI's Joint Terrorism task Force is also investigating. Sources also say the suspect told federal investigators he was targeting police. It was very, very terrifying to the public and people that work here," Sicilliano said. 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.. They believe it belonged to Bickford. 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. Trevor Bickford, the 19-year-old suspect charged in the Times Square attack on NYPD officers. Neighbors who knew the suspect and his family told NBC Boston said they were surprised by the allegations. A Maine teenager charged in a New Year 's Eve machete attack on three New York City cops near Times Square was arraigned from a hospital bed on Wednesday as . Reb Yoel Kahn (chief oral scribe of the Rebbe) gave many Lectures on Chassidus. Another hurt officer had just graduated from the police academy on Friday, and as is traditionally the case, his first assignment was the New Year's Eve detail in Times Square. 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. His trial, which took place over several weeks, centered on his mental condition at the time of the incident. The attack happened a little after 10 p.m. about eight blocks from Times Square, just outside the high . By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. NEW YORK The Pakistani immigrant who tried to detonate a car bomb on a busy Saturday night in Times Square accepted a life sentence . He said that the FBI believes the attacker was acting alone. "The last entry in there says, 'This is likely to be my final entry,' it's dated December 31, 2022," said CNN Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst and former deputy NYPD Commissioner John Miller. A preliminary review shows the man has no previous arrests but he was known to federal and local law enforcement because of previous online postings, the sources added. He remained hospitalized on Wednesday, but was out of bed to face a judge via video. 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. Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Mr. Rojas spent two months inside a Navy brig and in 2014 received what the Navy called an other than honorable discharge. Police sources say the bomb squad responded to a suspicious package Sunday in Forest Park, Queens that may have been tied to the case. One of the officers involved in the incident had graduated from the police academy on Friday, Sewell said. He was court-martialed in 2013 and pleaded guilty to drunken driving, failure to pay a debt, drunk and disorderly conduct and communicating a threat. "There has been no 'attack' today or over the weekend in New York City as referenced by that Instagram post," the department wrote in an email. In a public statement made announcing the . This is the weapon that was recovered at the scene. NEW YORK --The suspect in the New Year's Eve machete attack just outside theTimes Squarecelebration was charged Monday with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of assault. Bickford was taken into custody after being shot in the shoulder by a police officer. 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. He is due back in court Feb. 1. "It was nuts for about a good hour," Hell's Kitchen resident Stefan Shanni told CBS2. A video of Ukrainian citizens praying in the town square of Kharkiv after Russia invaded the country has gone viral . The family, he said, would not get to tell the court about the impact of his daughters death. He could still face federal terrorism charges. Three officers assigned to New Years Eve celebrations in New York City's Times Square area were injured by a machete-wielding teenager who expressed militant support for Islam, law enforcement officials said. Sources say he was put on the list because his aunt reported he had been radicalized online and expressed a desire to travel overseas and fight with Islamic extremists. Tuesday, February 28, 2023. "All three of the officers are in stable conditions and there are no critical threats to New Yorkers at this time.". Investigators are looking at the possibility that he was radicalized by Islamic extremists and they are looking into a handwritten diary found in his backpack. 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. "Weve just received initial discovery from the District Attorneys office, and well have more to say about this case after a thorough review and investigation. 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.". Trevor Bickford's neighbors in his Maine hometown shocked by his alleged conversion to Islam, attack on NYPD cops on New Year's Eve. Reports say he took an Amtrak from Maine to New York on Thursday, but sources tell CBS2 the NYPD was not aware and did not know he was on an FBI watch list. By Gerrard Kaonga On 2/24/22 at 5:33 AM EST. At least one officer fired upon the suspect, striking him in the shoulder. 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. Defense attorneys with The Legal Aid Society requested that he be released on his own recognizance, saying police questioned him for days without a lawyer present and pointing to his lack of criminal history. Trevor Bickford's mom reported his terrorist leanings to police weeks before Times Square attack. 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. One News Page Home; Editions. "Threat assessment is a systematic, fact-based method of investigation and examination that blends the collection of analysis of multiple sources of information with published research and practitioner experience, focusing on an individual's patterns of thinking and behavior to determine whether, and to what extent, a person of concern is moving toward an attack," the report states. "We are really pleased by the response and how our officers handled this situation," Mayor Eric Adams said. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Police did not have a more exact number Sunday. 0:00. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. 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 The incident occurred just after 10 p.m. on Saturday near West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, outside the secure area that had been set up for New Year's Eve celebrations, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell told reporters at a news conference at Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital. 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 . Wake up to the day's most important news. Should authorities determine the attack was motivated by an Islamist ideology, it would make it the first terror incident associated with New Years Eve in Times Square, authorities said. Some of Mr. Rojass relatives testified as defense witnesses, describing how, as one of his lawyers said, he had descended into madness, even attempting suicide. Investigators have said they believe Bickford acted alone. 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. Two psychiatrists also took the stand for the defense, with one testifying that Mr. Rojas gave a name, James, to a disembodied voice that he said he heard. It is powerful evidence that he knew what had happened in Times Square., Driver in Fatal Times Square Attack Found Not Responsible Because of Mental Illness, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/nyregion/driver-times-square-attack-terrorism.html. Another video obtained by CBS2 shows more than 20 police officer running on 52nd Street toward the crime scene. There was Jessica Williams, a high school senior in Midtown who was on her senior skip day; her spine detached from her pelvis. Three police officers were wounded in the attack by a 19-year-old male suspect who was shot in the shoulder and arrested, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a press conference with Mayor Eric Adams. The judge who heard the case, Daniel Conviser, ordered that Mr. Rojas be held, and said he would draft an examination order. Youre trying to steal my identity, Mr. Rojas stated during that incident, according to a criminal complaint. 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