An American was arrested for a machete attack on police officers near Times Square, in NYon New Year’s Eve.
This is Trevor Bickford, a 19-year-old from a coastal town in Maine, who would have traveled to New York motivated by Islamic extremism.
According to the Manhattan district attorney, Bickford moved “to kill people and carry out a jihadist attack.”
Assistant district attorney Lucy Nicholas said at the hearing that Bickford “specifically traveled” to New York, via Boston, with the intention of killing government employees.
He is accused of attacking three officers shortly after 10 p.m., just outside the security perimeter of Times Square, where tens of thousands had gathered to celebrate the New Year.
With a machete, the young assailant struck the heads of two officers, without causing any fatal damage.
The individual told investigators that he yelled Allahu Akbar! (‘God is the greatest!’, a Muslim religious expression) before the attack, according to the prosecutors’ complaint.
“I went up and hit him on the head with a kukri (Nepali big knife). I charged another officer, but I dropped the knife and tried to grab the police officer’s gun, but couldn’t,” Bickford told police.
According to the assistant prosecutor, Bickford had also stated that “all government officials” were his targets, “since they cannot be proper Muslims because the United States government supports Israel.” (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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