Mr. De Marco also told jurors that Mr. Rojas had not made the statement about wanting to kill people that the police attributed to him. Thomas Galati, NYPD Chief of Intelligence and Counterterrorism, said the suspect in Saturday night's Times Square attack, was interviewed by FBI agents last month in Maine after his mother reported concerns that her son was possibly becoming radicalized. Police working New Year's Eve detail in Times Square were wounded by a machete-wielding man who struck multiple officers in the head in what law enforcement are investigating as a possible targeted attack. In 2012, he was arrested near a base in Florida and charged with battery after an incident in which he was said to have assaulted a cab driver. The news was announced at the annual CTeen Jewish pride takeover of Times Square, where 3,000 teens from 30 countries across the globe joined together for a Jewish Pride concert and inspirational event. Times Square Ball Mystery Brews: Where Did 2023' Go? Just under a week before the Times Square incident, according to court documents, Mr. Rojas was charged with menacing and criminal possession of a weapon after using a knife to threaten a man who came to his mothers apartment to notarize documents for him. A local pizza shop employee said panicked revelers fled amid the chaos. The bomb never went off, and Faisal. It was very, very terrifying to the public and people that work here," Sicilliano said. By John Dias, Tim McNicholas, Alice Gainer, Updated on: January 2, 2023 / 11:33 PM In Saturday's attack, the officers were initially hospitalized, one with a fractured skull and another with a bad cut, Sewell said. Many defendants in the American legal system suffer from mental illness, treated or untreated. Authorities say Bickford whipped out a machete and attacked the three officers, striking two of them in the head. The 19-year-old being held by New York City police as the suspect in a New Year's Eve machete attack against three police officers just outside a Times Square security screening zone carried. The mother of the 19-year-old man accused of slashing two NYPD cops with a machete near Times Square on New Year's Eve had reported his sudden and inexplicable terrorist leanings to their local police department in southern Maine three weeks before the The deranged homeless ex-con accused of randomly shoving a straphanger to her death in a Times Square subway station is due to be arraigned at his hospital bedside Wednesday. He seemed to be in good spirits and said he is feeling OK, resting up at home with his family. Join The Clinton Senior Center & Best of Times Travel on this wonderful patriotic program. He is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and two counts of attempted assault. We're learning more about the suspect, 19-year-old Trevor Bickford, as federal investigators continue to look into whether the attack was terror-related. NBC New York's Ida Siegal reports. IE 11 is not supported. He remains hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. On a later call, officials said all three officers had been released from Bellevue Hospital overnight. The mayor of Saga said Monday that he will accept the deployment of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Osprey transport aircraft to the airport in the city. Home. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment More posts you may like . The incident took place at around 4:30 a.m. in the area of 162 W 43rd St. Police. Two of the officers were struck. The NYPD counterterrorism bureau is investigating the New Year's Eve attack in conjunction with the FBI. Were dealing with individuals, all of which, regardless of the motive, are experiencing somewhat consistent behavioral health issues.". John Cohen, a former U.S. Department of Homeland Security acting undersecretary for intelligence, said the case is the latest in a string of attacks nationwide where law enforcement made contact with a suspect prior to an attack and assessed the potential for them to carry out a violent act. Prosecutors countered that even if Mr. Rojas had been experiencing delusions during the incident, he was competent enough to know that he was harming people. His name is in a federal law enforcement database, they said, and he was known to investigators for his social media postings. "He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.". "People trying to get into the store, people rushing out," said Fiorentina Pizzeria owner Mike Sicilliano. Trevor Bickford, 19, has been charged with attempted murder for attacking New York City police officers on New Year's Eve near Times Square. Counsel also referenced the Wells man's community ties and said he worked at a golf course. https://t.co/Waaux2hUTt pic.twitter.com/EijU7QUgkQ. The attack and sound of a gunshot briefly sent some people in the crowd running, but the incident did not impact the festivities in Times Square, which continued uninterrupted. The New York Police Department has seen other lone wolf terrorist-type attacks on officers. Download this stock image: New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly discusses Saturday evening's Times Square incident during a news conference at One Police Plaza, Sunday May 2, 2010 in New York. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Mr. Rojass rampage through one of the citys most crowded areas lasted only minutes, but caused intense panic, conjuring comparisons to an attempted car bombing in Times Square in 2010 and to episodes in which terrorists used automobiles as weapons. Prosecutors sayBickford intended to carry out a jihad,and the charges reflect thegravity of his actions. The 19-year-old Maine man charged with trying to murder NYPD officers in a New Year's Eve machete attack near Times Square shortly before the iconic ball drop was remanded to Department of Correction custody following his video arraignment from a hospital on Wednesday. At this time, there's nothing to indicate otherwise," an FBI official said. Prosecutors said he was culpable, but failed to sway jurors in the 2017 attack that left one dead and injured nearly two dozen. New surveillance video from inside Fiorintina's Pizza on Eighth Avenue captured the chaotic moments. The attack happened around 10pm near Times Square on New Year's Eve Two officers, including a rookie NYPD cop, were injured in the attack By Andrea Cavallier For Dailymail.Com Published:. Early Morning Times Square Attack Leaves 2 Teens With Injuries: NYPD NBC New York 08:47 15-Feb-23 Cardi B and Offset pop by Times Square McDonald's for a Valentine's Day snack Complete Music Update 05:22 15-Feb-23 Cardi B & Offset Mobbed At Times Square McDonald's Valentine's Date All Hip-Hop 03:29 15-Feb-23 ", Cohen said much of the new model for assessing the risk of such individuals is detailed in a 2015 FBI report titled, "Making Prevention a Reality.". Michael Driscoll, the assistant director in charge of the FBIs New York field office, said the FBI's Joint Terrorist Task Force in New York City was investigating, but investigators believe the attacker acted alone. Informations sur votre appareil et sur votre connexion Internet, y compris votre adresseIP, Navigation et recherche lors de lutilisation des sites Web et applications Yahoo. En cliquant sur Accepter tout, vous acceptez que Yahoo et nos partenaires traitent vos informations personnelles et utilisent des technologies telles que les cookies pour afficher des publicits et des contenus personnaliss, et des fins de mesure des publicits et des contenus, dtude des audiences et de dveloppement de produit. A rookie NYPD police officer on his first day on the job was attacked with a machete on New Year's Eve just blocks Times Square and police are probing whether the suspect is a recently. The judge sided with the prosecution, ordered Bickford remanded after his arraignment. The attack happened shortly after 10 p.m. at West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, just outside checkpoints for the high-security zone set up for celebrants, officials said at a news conference early Sunday. One of the officers involved in the incident had graduated from the police academy on Friday, Sewell said. In a public statement made announcing the . People can be seen sprinting by a crowd, and others standing outside a window then drop down. The decision in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan was one of only a few recent instances in which a jury found that the illness outweighed evidence of guilt.Its a humane verdict, one of Mr. Rojass lawyers, Enrico De Marco, said as he left the courthouse. At approximately 10:10 p.m., at 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue, blocks away from the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, BICKFORD attacked three NYPD officers, who were detailed to the joint federal-state law enforcement operation to protect the New Year's Eve celebration. Cop hanging out over Times Square. The attacks occurred outside the security screening area set up around Times Square for the traditional New Years Eve ball drop. Four senior law enforcement officialssaid the man is Trevor Bickford of Wells, Maine. A New Years Eve machete attack on police officers near Manhattans Times Square is being investigated by the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force. The report adds, "By engaging in the assessment and management process as soon as a person of concern is identified, threat managers are more likely to succeed in preventing a violent outcome. The person got additional mental health care.". Thomas Galati, NYPD Chief of Intelligence and Counterterrorism, said the suspect in Saturday night's Times Square attack, was interviewed by FBI agents last month in Maine after his mother reported concerns that her son was possibly becoming radicalized. Cohen noted that suspects in several recent mass casualty incidents had been evaluated by law enforcement prior to committing the acts of violence, including Payton Gendron, the teenager who pleaded guilty to killing 10 Black people in a racially motivated shooting in Buffalo, and Nikolas Cruz, who pleaded guilty to killing 17 students in 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It adds terrorism charges to theoffenses he was already facing, which include two counts of attempted murder of a police officer, as well as two counts of attempted assault. My son Andrew went to high school with the boys. Mr. Rojas killed one person, Alyssa Elsman, 18, from Michigan, who was visiting New York City with relatives, and seriously injured several others, including Alyssas 13-year-old sister, Ava, who was treated for a collapsed lung and broken pelvis. The attack happened a little after 10 p.m. about eight blocks from Times Square, just outside the high-security zone where revelers are screened for weapons. He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.". Times Square machete attack suspect now facing terrorism charges The 19-year-old suspect who allegedly attacked three police officers with a machete at a New Year's Eve celebration near Times. The scene near where the attack happened. According to Lisa Nicholas, assistant district attorney, Bickford allegedly made statements implicating himself in the attack and said he indicated that he intentionally waited until the moment when an officer was isolated, away from civilians, to attack. By Kanishka Singh(Reuters) - The teenager accused of attacking three policemen with a machete on New Year's Eve near Times Square and charged with. All three NYPD members were taken to Bellevue Hospital and were expected to survive. The Times Square assault on three New York City police officers came just weeks after the suspect, 19-year-old Trevor Bickford of Maine, was placed on a federal watch list, authorities said. Investigators spent much of the weekend searching the suspect's family home in Wells, Maine. Trevor Bickford, charged in the attack on 3 NYPD officers near Times Square, may have been motivated by Islamic extremism. "We're still, from an investigator's perspective, looking for that Mohamed Atta," said Cohen, referring to one of the hijackers in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Sewell asked any witnesses to contact the NYPD. His trial, which took place over several weeks, centered on his mental condition at the time of the incident. "We believe this was a sole individual at this time, there's nothing to suggest otherwise," said Mike Driscoll, assistant director in charge of the New York FBI Field Office. Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? By BY ANDY NEWMAN AND MIHIR ZAVERI from NYT New York Trevor Bickford, a 19-year-old man from Maine, had recently become radicalized and traveled to New York to attack the police, according to a law enforcement official. "It just goes to show you, it could be your first day or it could be your last day, the actions that police officers must take every day are life-threatening situations," Adams said. "Weve just received initial discovery from the District Attorneys office, and well have more to say about this case after a thorough review and investigation. He was court-martialed in 2013 and pleaded guilty to drunken driving, failure to pay a debt, drunk and disorderly conduct and communicating a threat. All rights reserved, charged with trying to murder NYPD officers in a New Year's Eve machete attack, Relative Alerted to Machete Man's Alleged Jihadist Views Before NYE Cop Attack: Sources. Federal and local law enforcement investigators are combing through the suspect's online postings, which indicate recent extremist Islamic radicalization, the sources said. https://t.co/ha11b02Fvq. Youre trying to steal my identity, Mr. Rojas stated during that incident, according to a criminal complaint. "He stated he specifically targeted the uniformed police officer because an officer is a man in uniform with a weapon and often in the military are targets for the defendant," Nicholas added as she formally requested remand. He joined CBS2 News in November 2017. An "unprovoked" machete attack on three New York City police officers near Times Square on New Year's Eve is being investigated as a possible terrorist incident. Since 9/11, there have been at least 10 terror-type attacks targeting uniformed officers with knives. I wanted to kill them, Mr. Rojas told a traffic enforcement agent at the time, according to a criminal complaint. The three officers who were wounded are recovering at home. Then we pay respect and honor the fallen as we visit the September 11th Museum and Memorial. After growing up in the Bronx, he spent three years in the Navy. One round, and they went back to protecting the people of this city," Adams said. Both federal and local law enforcement stressed at Sunday morning's news conference the attack appeared to be an isolated incident and there was no longer a threat. Adams spoke at the officer's graduation ceremony, he said. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, said, "Let's think about those family members here who are in shock right now, never thinking the first call of the year would be their son, their husband, their family member would be here in Bellevue Hospital.". Early Monday, authorities were in and out of the suspect's home in Wells, Maine. Here's a rundown of this wonderful program: Day One: After an early morning departure we arrive at West . New York City is asking residents to give up their bikes to illegal aliens. A New Year's Eve machete rampage targeting police officers in Times Square is the latest example of law enforcement failing to prevent an individual already on their radar from carrying out an act of violence, prompting some counterterrorism experts to call for a new model for evaluating would-be attackers. Two psychiatrists also took the stand for the defense, with one testifying that Mr. Rojas gave a name, James, to a disembodied voice that he said he heard. I charged another officer but dropped the knife and I tried to get the police officer's gun but couldn't," Bickford allegedly told detectives. Feb 27, 2023. Officials expected as many as 1 million people to crowd the area. And Mr. Rojas, he said, deserved punishment. "Most prominently, Islamic State supporters have recently been resharing content that was produced in 2016 at the height of the Islamic State's self-proclaimed caliphate, meant to inspire lone actors to conduct low budget or self-starting attacks by using knives, trucks, cars, and other rudimentary weapons in order to cause havoc in public settings.". Mr. Peterson told jurors that even if Mr. Rojas believed he was striking spirits on the Seventh Avenue sidewalk, he must have known that he was also striking real people, since his ability to execute a U-turn and drive beneath scaffolding without crashing into it showed competence and awareness. He said a better approach, increasingly adopted by state and local agencies, is to "look at individuals holistically" when they come to the attention of law enforcement. ), ALSO READ | 'Eyewitness to 2022,' examining the stories that defined the year, * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts. Witnesses said the driver, Richard Rojas, tried to flee but was quickly apprehended. SHARE. "The school resource officer went to the threat management unit, which did a threat assessment and deemed the person to be high risk," Cohen said. They are expected to recover. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bickford is accused of carrying out the attack about two hours before midnight on New Year's Eve, just blocks away from Times Square, where heavy crowds of revelers were counting down to 2023. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The security perimeter can only extend so far, though. Investigators are looking into whether the suspect came to the annual ball drop specifically to wage an attack on law enforcement, the sources said. He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today, Adams said. WASHINGTON To mark a full year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US today announced another $2 billion in weapons for Kyiv, including three types of drones that are not publicly known to have been sent before.. "But the alternative is we continue to experience the weekly shootings or other mass casualty attacks that we seem to be experiencing today. May 21, 2021 at 6:46 pm Expand Joseph Borgen, pictured, said anti-Semitic assailants appeared out of nowhere Thursday at the corner of W. 48th St. and Seventh Ave. in Times Square, Manhattan,. Mr. Rojas also told doctors that the police should have shot him and was heard saying while in custody, Im never getting out, Mr. Peterson added, pointing to those statements as further evidence that Mr. Rojas knew he had committed crimes. Authorities identified the suspect at the news conference only as a 19-year-old man. "What it entails is that you have specially trained law enforcement working with mental health professionals. An eight-year police veteran received a laceration to his head, and another a large laceration and concussion in the attack, said Sewell. Times Square knife attack suspect wanted to kill uniformed officers and 'carry out jihad,' prosecutors say 19-year-old suspect allegedly yelled 'Allahu akbar' before charging at NYPD officers. 2023 FOX Television Stations, allegedly attacked three police officers with a machete, Kylie Jenners ex Travis Scott nightclub incident: New York police investigating alleged bar brawl, West Virginia governor signs new carry bill, allowing for guns on public college, university campuses, Rep. George Santos sponsors his first bill, Airbnb renting out Paris theater that inspired 'Phantom of the Opera', Surgeon runs down Philadelphia street to retrieve organ from transport vehicle stuck in traffic, Pilot thought instructor who died during flight was 'just pretending', Hamptons trailer park home sells for $3.75M, Long-lost Ironton ship found in Lake Huron, confirming tragic story, Baby seal released after crossing NJ highway with police help. The shoulder suspect at the news conference only as a 19-year-old man was known to investigators for his social postings... Store, people rushing out, '' an FBI official said the area of 162 43rd! The FBI federal law enforcement database, they said, and they went back protecting! Their bikes to illegal aliens had graduated from the police academy on,. 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