Act Daily News
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Trevor Bickford, the 19-year-old accused of attacking New York Police Department officers with a machete on New Year’s Eve, traveled to town “in order to kill people and carry out jihad,” prosecutors say.
Bickford allegedly went to the Times Square checkpoint simply after 10 p.m., authorities have stated. At the safety space, he allegedly pulled out a machete, struck one officer with the blade and one other officer within the head with the deal with, after which swung the blade at a 3rd officer, who shot Bickford within the shoulder, based on regulation enforcement sources and the NYPD.
The three injured NYPD officers have been hospitalized in steady situation and have been launched, the division stated.
Speaking at Bickford’s arraignment Wednesday, prosecutors stated the suspect tried to seize a gun from an officer in the course of the assault, however couldn’t get it out of the holster.
“The defendant admitted that he purposefully waited until he saw a moment when the officer was isolated and not near any civilian when he could attack him,” prosecutor Lucy Nicholas stated in courtroom.
Bickford, based on a legal criticism, instructed authorities throughout his interview that he stated “(Allahu) Akbar” earlier than he walked up and hit the officer over the pinnacle with the weapon.
The suspect additionally allegedly stated that each one authorities officers have been his goal as a result of in his thoughts, they “cannot be proper Muslims because the United States government supports Israel,” prosecutors stated.
Bickford appeared through video feed from his hospital mattress at Bellevue Hospital, the place sources beforehand stated he was being handled for the gunshot wound.
He was formally charged with three counts of tried homicide within the first diploma, one rely of assault within the first diploma, two counts of tried assault within the first diploma and three counts of assault within the second diploma.
Bickford was remanded again into custody. No plea was entered.
Rosemary Vassallo-Vellucci, Bickford’s lawyer with the Legal Aid Society, stated her consumer is “presumed innocent” and argued he must be launched on his personal recognizance, highlighting his age, that he’s been in custody for greater than 24 hours and has no arrest document.
Vassallo-Vellucci additionally talked about the suspect’s alleged group ties, telling the decide he was residing along with his household in Maine and most not too long ago labored at a golf course.
The Legal Aid Society stated the suspect “has no prior contact with the criminal legal system.” The group stated it had not too long ago acquired particulars of the case from the District Attorney’s workplace and may have “more to say … after a thorough review and investigation.”
“For now, we ask the public to refrain from drawing hasty conclusions and to respect the privacy of our client’s family,” the group added.
Bickford had been on the FBI’s radar even earlier than the assault, and was interviewed by federal brokers in Maine final month after he stated he wished to journey abroad to assist fellow Muslims and was prepared to die for his faith, a number of regulation enforcement sources beforehand stated.
Bickford’s mom and grandmother turned involved about his need to journey to Afghanistan to affix the Taliban and reported this to the Wells, Maine, police division on December 10, the sources stated.
When the FBI opened its wider investigation in addition they positioned him on a terrorist watch listing, based on sources.
But as a result of the Taliban will not be designated a international terrorist entity, planning to journey to Afghanistan to affix the group doesn’t represent the federal crime of “attempted material support of a terrorist group.”
Multiple regulation enforcement sources instructed Act Daily News that Bickford traveled to New York through Amtrak, so these travels wouldn’t have tripped any watch listing databases.