A suspect—believed to have been obsessed with Islam—who targeted three NYPD officers in Times Square on New Year’s Eve in a machete attack is facing terrorism charges, with the victims of the attack expected to make a recovery.
On Friday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office reported that the suspect, Trevor Bickford, 19, has been indicted by a grand jury on multiple counts, including aggravated assault on a police officer as an act of terrorism, first-degree attempted murder, and first-degree attempted murder in the furtherance of an act of terrorism. Bickford is facing 18 felony counts in total.
“These charges reflect the seriousness of this alleged threat to the safety of our city and our officers.”
Bickford is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 1.
Islamist Links
In his criminal complaint, Bickford admitted to a detective with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force that he “wanted to kill an officer in uniform.”On Dec. 31, Bickford waited until an officer was alone, chanted “Allahu Akbar,” walked to the officer, and hit his head with a machete. Allahu Akbar means “God is great” in Arabic, and is a common phrase among Muslims. Bickford then charged at another officer, dropped the machete, and attempted to grab that officer’s gun. He intended to kill the two officers using the gun but failed to get it out of the holster.
For roughly three weeks before the attack, Bickford was on the FBI’s radar. On Dec. 10, Bickford’s mother Audra Simpson had called the town police and expressed concerns about her son’s rising obsession with Islam.
A Normal American Kid
Bickford showed no signs of extremism for much of the earlier part of his life. He was among a group of students who won awards for their artwork as recently as 2020.Bickford’s father used to post pictures of his sons and their achievements prior to his death. Family and friends also praised the boys, talking about their bright futures. His mother eventually remarried. In a July 28 Facebook post, Audra Simpson shared a photo of her son, wishing him on his 19th birthday.
“I love that you have no fear of trying new things, and you truly are the best brother ever. I am so beyond proud of the man you are becoming, I love you.”
Just six months later, Bickford was accused of attacking NYPD officers.