Maine Man Sentenced to 27 Years for New Year’s Eve 2022 ‘Radical Islamic Jihad’ Machete Attack on NYPD Officers

A Maine man has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for travelling to Times Square New Year’s Eve Celebration in 2022 to carry out a machete attack in the name of “radical Islamic jihad,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced Thursday.

According to court documents, in December 2022, Trevor Bickford of Wells, Maine, then 19, travelled to New York City to, in his own words wage jihad and kill as many of his targets as possible.

Prosecutors say Bickford chose Times Square on New Year’s Eve for his attack due to it being one of the most densely populated areas possible.

Bickford was accuse of ambushing three New York Police Department (NYPD) officers in Times Square, declaring “Allahu Akbar” — an Arabic phrase meaning “God is great” that radical Islamic extremists have similarly proclaimed while carrying out terrorist attacks — and swung the machete at the officers’ heads, seriously injuring all three officers.

The machete used in the attack had a blade more than a foot long, and can be seen below.

One of the NYPD officers struck by Bickford was able to shoot Bickford in the shoulder, halting his attack.

According to federal prosecutors, Bickford’s attack on Dec. 31, 2022, was premeditated.

Following the attack, law enforcement recovered a book from Bickford’s backpack near the scene of the attack with a passage highlighted which stated: “Fight in the Name of Allah and in the Cause of Allah. Fight against those who do not believe in Allah. Wage a holy war.”

Prosecutors stated Bickford immersed himself in the teachings of radical Islamic ideology, including the teachings of Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi, a prominent radical Islamic cleric who was a spiritual mentor of al Qaeda, and “contemplated ways to wage jihad.”

In the months leading up to the attack, prosecutors say Bickford was planning to travel overseas to support the Taliban in Afghanistan or elsewhere, hoping to ally himself with the Taliban in order to, in his view, fight against governments that he believes oppress Muslims.

From Bickford’s cellphone, investigators uncovered internet searches for “Al Qaeda recruitment,” “how often do the police patrol in NYC” and “New Years Eve 2023 itinerary in New York City Times Square.”

“Inspired by radical Islamic extremism, Trevor Bickford brutally attacked three NYPD officers who were just doing their jobs by protecting the public during the Times Square New Year’s Eve festivities,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Thursday. “Thankfully, one officer’s quick-thinking actions stopped the defendant’s attack while minimizing risk to the innocent bystanders who easily might have become additional victims of the defendant’s heinous violence.” 

“Less than a year and a half after his attack, Bickford has been convicted and now sentenced to 27 years in prison. Bickford’s conviction and sentence demonstrate that cowardly acts of terrorism will be met with law enforcement’s unwavering resolve to protect New York City, our country, and our core values of freedom and democracy,” Williams said.

In addition to the 27-year prison sentence, Bickford was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.