Maine man sentenced to 27 years in machete attack on NYPD officers in Times Square

A Maine man who attacked 3 New York constabulary officers pinch a machete successful Times Square connected New Year’s Eve successful 2022 was sentenced to 27 years successful situation Thursday, national prosecutors said.

Trevor Bickford, who was 19 astatine nan time, said he attacked nan officers because he wanted to costs jihad, nan U.S. Attorney’s Office for nan Southern District of New York said.

Three officers were injured but survived. Bickford utilized a machete-style weapon and said “Allahu Akbar,” which intends “God is great” successful Arabic arsenic he slashed astatine their heads, prosecutors said.

The prosecutor's agency called it a "violent rampage" that was premeditated. Bickford traveled from Maine to nan world-famous Times Square New Year's Eve arena to onslaught police, but earlier that immersed himself successful nan teachings of nan Taliban and considered going overseas to support nan Islamic extremist group, nan U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The machete utilized to onslaught 3 constabulary officers connected New Year's Eve successful New York.NYPD via AP file

"Inspired by extremist Islamic extremism, Trevor Bickford brutally attacked 3 NYPD officers who were conscionable doing their jobs by protecting nan nationalist during nan Times Square New Year’s Eve festivities," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said successful a statement.

Bickford successful January pleaded blameworthy to 3 counts of attempted execution of officers and labor of nan U.S. authorities and persons assisting them.

He has besides been indicted connected authorities counts of attempted execution successful nan first grade successful furtherance of an enactment of terrorism, attempted execution successful nan first degree, and different counts.

The authorities lawsuit is pending. His adjacent tribunal day is May 22, online records show.

Bickford attacked nan first officer, who was 23 years aged astatine nan time, astatine astir 10:10 p.m. that night, striking him from down pinch nan knife, and past attacked nan different two, officials person said. The first serviceman attacked suffered a fractured skull.

The 3 injured officers said successful nan Manhattan national courtroom Thursday, including Officer Mickel Hanna, who changeable Bickford erstwhile successful nan enarthrosis and ended nan rampage, NBC New York reported. Hanna said that if he didn’t fire, “people could person died that night,” and that he nary longer likes being successful crowds, nan position reported.

Bickford said “I’ve near scars,” and “I dream nan victims tin forgive me,” according to NBC New York.

Bickford’s defense attorneys based on that untreated intelligence unwellness played a important domiciled successful nan attack, and that “Mr. Bickford is ashamed and appalled by his actions successful trying to termination 3 constabulary officers.”

Bickford was having “auditory, tactile, and ocular hallucinations,” they wrote successful a sentencing memorandum successful which they asked for 10 years successful prison.

Bickford successful a missive to nan judge wrote that he owed an apology to nan officers, everyone who witnessed nan attack, and good arsenic nan United States of America. He said hallucinations caused him to spell deeper into extremist Islam, and that “By nan clip I attacked nan officers, I had go personification else.”

“I wish that I could return backmost my actions. I’m grateful for nan officers’ speedy reasoning and actions to make judge I didn’t wounded anyone other that night,” Bickford wrote.

Prosecutors asked for astatine slightest 50 years successful prison, arguing that erstwhile it comes to violent attacks “the request for deterrence is besides of captious value here.” Sentencing guidelines allowed for 120 years, they noted.

“The suspect plotted to termination those who did not subscribe to nan extremist strain of Islam he embraced,” prosecutors wrote successful their sentencing submission. “His extremity was to termination arsenic galore military-aged men who worked for nan U.S. Government arsenic he could.”