He said there are reams of data culled from mass shootings and terrorist attacks showing a common pattern of behavior in perpetrators that can be used in assessing risk. 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. Part of HuffPost News. Times Square bomber sentenced, warns of additional attacks. A police officer walks after the first public New Year's event since the COVID-19 pandemic, at Times Square, in New York, Jan. 1, 2023. They believe it belonged to Bickford. This incident follows other lone-wolf terror-type attacks on NYPD officers. Bickford was placed on a federal watchlist that would have prevented him from traveling overseas. CBS2's Tim McNicholas spoke to that officer briefly Monday. NBC New York's Ida Siegal reports. The Boston Marathon bombing was a domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. 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. His trial, which took place over several weeks, centered on his mental condition at the time of the incident. 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. Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, said, "Let's think about those family members here who are in shock right now, never thinking the first call of the year would be their son, their husband, their family member would be here in Bellevue Hospital.". Many defendants in the American legal system suffer from mental illness, treated or untreated. 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. People can be seen sprinting by a crowd, and others standing outside a window then drop down. 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. He recently worked at an area country club as a groundskeeper, they said. New surveillance video from inside Fiorintina's Pizza on Eighth Avenue captured the chaotic moments. Crowds are not allowed access to the blocks to see performances and the midnight ball drop without being screened at checkpoints where officers use metal-detecting wands to screen for weapons. Trevor Bickford, whom senior law enforcement officials have described as a "homegrown violent extremist," is accused of swinging a large knife at three different cops he approached on Eighth Avenue, between 51st and 52nd streets, just after 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve, a night when midtown streets are jam-packed with tourists and holiday revelers. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The random box-cutter attack on an Asian woman in Times Square was a hate crime, cops said Tuesday -- as they busted and charged the suspect in the case. He remained hospitalized on Wednesday, but was out of bed to face a judge via video. Early Monday, authorities were in and out of the suspect's home in Wells, Maine. The FBI's Joint Terrorism task Force is also investigating. "They feel disconnected from community, theyre angry, they're searching for a sense of life meaning, they come from dysfunctional family backgrounds, they spend a considerable amount of time online viewing content placed there by terrorist groups, by extremists, content regarding past shootings and other ideological or extremist content until ultimately they connect with something or a blend of beliefs, or a blend of beliefs and grievances. Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? 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. Federal and local law enforcement investigators are combing through the suspect's online postings, which indicate recent extremist Islamic radicalization, the sources said. By BY ANDY NEWMAN AND MIHIR ZAVERI from NYT New York Trevor Bickford, a 19-year-old man from Maine, had recently become radicalized and traveled to New York to attack the police, according to a law enforcement official. They said that after his arrest, he said he was self-radicalized and that he had converted his beliefs about three or four months ago, officials said. Video shows the chaotic moments after the man allegedly attacked. 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. He realized the situation he was in and offered an excuse, Mr. Peterson told jurors. ", He added, We thought someone is trying to shoot, you know, as many people as possible. His mother and aunt notified law enforcement in recent weeks about their concerns he was gravitating toward dangerous Islamist ideologies, the sources said. Large bags and coolers are banned from the area, while barriers are set up to prevent vehicle attacks in the secure area. SHARE. 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. Adams spoke at the officer's graduation ceremony, he said. "Like, I'm sure in the back of all of our minds, now this could be a target for, you know, shooting. If the court finds that the defendant has a dangerous mental disorder, it must then issue an order committing the defendant to the custody of the state commissioner of mental health. The family, he said, would not get to tell the court about the impact of his daughters death. Bickford was taken into custody after being shot in the shoulder by a police officer. "So, they no-flyed him. Nicholas also argued that he poses a "significant flight risk," telling the court Bickford indicated he intended to travel across the United States after leaving New York City and had bought an Amtrak ticket to Miami. "The school resource officer went to the threat management unit, which did a threat assessment and deemed the person to be high risk," Cohen said. "But the alternative is we continue to experience the weekly shootings or other mass casualty attacks that we seem to be experiencing today. Authorities identified the suspect at the news conference only as a 19-year-old man. Three police officers wounded in the attack are in stable condition. Tom Winter is a New York-based correspondent covering crime, courts, terrorism and financial fraud on the East Coast for the NBC News Investigative Unit. People lying on the floor to avoid the gunshots.". It was discovered in a wooded area, along with a bag containing food and a sleeping bag. He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.". He had expressed some desire to travel to Afghanistan in the past, the officials said. Bickford told police he took a sip of water and shouted "Allahu Akbar" before attacking the officers with a knife, sources said. Investigators trying to pinpoint motive in NYPD machete attack, Suspect charged with attempted murder in New Year's Eve machete attack. The person got additional mental health care.". 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Bickford was a 2022 graduate of Wells High School, where he wrestled and played football, according to the station. He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today, Adams said. NEW YORK A man accused of attacking police with a machete near New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve is now facing federal terrorism charges after he became determined to wage jihad. Neither the FBI nor New York police were on the lookout for any other suspects, officials said. Investigators were probing whether he stayed at a homeless shelter downtown, the four officials said. In 2012, he was arrested near a base in Florida and charged with battery after an incident in which he was said to have assaulted a cab driver. Investigators spent much of the weekend searching the suspect's family home in Wells, Maine. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Police sources said the alleged attacker's injuries are also non-life-threatening. The attacks occurred outside the security screening area set up around Times Square for the traditional New Years Eve ball drop. Cohen said threats today are very different from ones the nation faced on Sept. 11, 2001. FBI agents with court authorization searched the man's home in Maine on Sunday, an agency spokesperson said. A video of Ukrainian citizens praying in the town square of Kharkiv after Russia invaded the country has gone viral . "They believed this person was on their way to engage in violence and they prevented it. Another mass shooting.. John Dias is an Emmy-nominated reporter. Authorities say Bickford whipped out a machete and attacked the three officers, striking two of them in the head. Police did not have a more exact number Sunday. Nicholas said Bickford at first indicated he wanted to travel internationally but decided instead to come to New York to carry out "jihad." The investigation was still in its early stages. Mayor Hidetaka . Two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, planted two homemade pressure cooker bombs, which detonated 14 seconds and 210 yards (190 m) apart at 2:49 p.m., near the finish line of the race, killing three people and injuring hundreds of others . But toxicology tests did not detect the powerful mood-altering drug in Mr. Rojass urine or blood, Mr. Peterson said, suggesting that was another indication that the defendant was aware of what he had done. A neighbor in Maine, Steve Isles, told reporters Bickford has two brothers, and they're well known in the neighborhood. Headed up by "Bike New York," the bicycles for illegal aliens program is working in direct partnership with the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, the New York City Department of Transportation, and other government entities to get bikes into the hands of illegals. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? "I want to be clear that the FBI through the Joint Terrorism Taskforce is working very closely with them to determine the nature of this attack, and we will run every lead to ground," said the FBI official. He remains hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. 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. 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. He is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and two counts of attempted assault. First published on January 2, 2023 / 12:31 PM. This is no place for sweaty palms. The suspect was then shot in the shoulder and wounded by police. The man approached the first officer just after 10 p.m. Saturday and attempted to strike him over the head with a machete, Sewell said. Mr. Peterson told jurors that even if Mr. Rojas believed he was striking spirits on the Seventh Avenue sidewalk, he must have known that he was also striking real people, since his ability to execute a U-turn and drive beneath scaffolding without crashing into it showed competence and awareness. "He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.". Should authorities determine the attack was motivated by an Islamist ideology, it would make it the first terror incident associated with New Year's Eve in Times Square, authorities said. Bickford only recently considered New York as a target, officials allege, and decided to go forward with the attack once he got to the city after taking an Amtrak train from Boston on Dec. 29, according to law enforcement officials. (The Associated Press contributed to this report. The injured police were out of the hospital and expected to recover. Investigators found some of his belongings in Forest Park Monday morning. "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. The package, which also includes ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), laser-guided rocket systems and 155mm artillery rounds, is being provided . NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The Maine teen charged in the attack on three NYPD officers has made statements to investigators that strengthen the belief their attack was motivated by Islamic extremism, law enforcement sources told ABC News. ", Cohen said much of the new model for assessing the risk of such individuals is detailed in a 2015 FBI report titled, "Making Prevention a Reality.". All rights reserved, charged with trying to murder NYPD officers in a New Year's Eve machete attack, Relative Alerted to Machete Man's Alleged Jihadist Views Before NYE Cop Attack: Sources. 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 . NEW YORK - 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. Standing outside a window then drop down shows the chaotic moments after the man allegedly attacked prevent vehicle attacks the. 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