Trevor Bickford, 19, of Wells, is the man accused of wielding a machete in a New Years Eve terror attack that wounded three New York City police officers Saturday night.
The attack occurred around 10pm on Dec. 31 outside of the security zone around Times Square.
Bickford allegedly struck three cops over the heads, with one officer receiving a skull fracture, according to NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell. One of the officers managed to shoot Bickford in the shoulder.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said all three officers were recovering.
Bickford had been radicalized by Islam and expressed a desire to go to Afghanistan to fight alongside the Taliban, according to law enforcement sources quoted in the New York Post.
The Post also reported that Bickford was on an FBI watchlist after his mother and aunt reported that he was showing signs of radicalization. During the attack, Bickford carried a diary in which he reportedly urged his family to convert to Islam.
According to the Post, Bickford’s path to radicalization began when his father died of a drug overdose in 2018.
UPDATE: NYPD charged Bickford Monday afternoon with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of assault for the attack.