Authorities charged 19-year-old Trevor Bickford with attempted murder of a police officer and attempted assault for allegedly attacking two New York City police officers in Manhattan on New Year’s Eve.
Bickford, who is believed to have traveled from Maine, is charged with two counts of attempted murder of an officer and two counts of attempted assault. The NYPD and the FBI are handling the investigation together, and FBI agents reportedly entered Bickford’s Maine home on Monday.
Authorities are investigating Bickford for possible links to Islamic extremism. A senior law enforcement source told Fox News Digital that Bickford was being watched by the FBI’s counterterrorism task force in the weeks leading up to Saturday’s attack. The source also said that Bickford recently converted to Islam and an insider claimed that he had expressed an interest in going to Afghanistan.
Bickford’s attack first struck a rookie police officer, identified only as Paul. Bickford slashed Paul across the head, then caused minor injuries to another officer before being shot in the shoulder.
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The weapon allegedly used by an anonymous attacker to stab two New York police officers.
Authorities hold a press conference about the stabbing of two NYPD officers on New Year’s Eve.
The FBI’s New York field office did not immediately respond to a request to confirm an FBI visit to Bickford’s home.
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New York Mayor Eric Adams praised the officers’ response at a news conference Sunday morning. He added that all of the officers involved were in stable condition and are expected to recover.
“And as we do a preliminary review of the body camera video, we see how well these officers executed the plan that was put in place by the New York City Police Department to ensure that we protect those who came here to usher in a new year. . “, he told reporters.
While authorities are investigating Bickford’s possible links to extremism, he is not currently facing any terrorism-related charges.
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“I want to make it clear that the FBI, through the Joint Terrorism Task Force, is working very closely with [NYPD] to determine the nature of this attack,” the FBI’s Michael Driscoll said at Sunday’s news conference. “And we will find all the clues. I also want to be very clear, as you heard earlier tonight, this is an ongoing investigation, so our ability to discuss details is limited.”
