Facebook (Audra Simpson)/NYPD Trevor Bickford (l) and the machete used in the attack (r).
Trevor Bickford is a 19-year-old from Wells, Maine, who is accused of a New Year’s Eve 2022 knife attack on NYPD officers near Times Square in New York City, according to NBC New York reporter Jonathan Dienst. Bickford was shot and wounded by police, officials said.
Three officers were injured, Mayor Eric Adams said in an early morning press conference on January 1, 2023. Dienst tweeted that the 19-year-old suspect was identified as Bickford and said the incident is being investigated as a “possible terror incident.”
Citing law enforcement sources, The New York Post reported that Bickford is an “alleged Islamic extremist” who “became a radicalized Muslim in recent years,” ending up on an FBI watchlist. Officials said the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force is assisting in the investigation.
Bickford was charged on January 2, 2023, with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and two counts of attempted assault, CNN reported. He could also face federal terrorism-related charges as part of the investigation.
Here’s what you need to know about Trevor Bickford and the New Year’s Eve incident:
1. Trevor Bickford Is Accused of Wanting to Fight in Afghanistan With Islamic Militants & Striking the Officers in the Head With a Machete, Reports Say
Facebook/Audra SimpsonTrevor Bickford.
The Post article reported that Bickford planned to travel to Afghanistan “to fight alongside Islamic militants.” The Post reported that his aunt notified authorities about those comments, and Bickford ended up on a “Guardian Watchlist.” According to The Post, he visited a mosque near his home.
NBC New York reported that investigators are looking into possible “Jihadist writings” left online by the suspect. He had no criminal history, according to NBC New York.
According to Mayor Eric Adams, who spoke at the press conference, the man who attacked the police officers was carrying a machete.
The officers were on a detail protecting Times Square during New Year’s Eve festivities, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in the news conference.
Knife Attack on Cops Near Times Square Investigated as Possible Terror Incident – Sources say suspect is 19 year-old Trevor Bickford of Wells, Maine.
Police are looking into whether it is a “possible targeted attack,” according to NBC New York.
2. Bickford, Who Traveled to New York on Amtrak With a Will, Was Shot in the Shoulder, Reports Say
Facebook/Audra SimpsonTrevor Bickford.
Bickford traveled to New York City on an Amtrak train with a will, diary and camping gear, according to The Post.
Adams said three officers were attacked, but all “are going home.”
“Three officers were attacked today. They were doing their jobs,” Adams said in the news conference.
The mayor said that a preliminary review of the body cam video showed how “well these officers executed the plan that was put into place” to protect New Year’s revelers.
Watch as Police Commissioner Sewell & Mayor Adams provide an update on a police involved incident in Manhattan. t.co/ha11b02Fvq
He confirmed that the attack took place outside the security area, adding that “thousands of officers” were in the area to ensure people were safe on New Year’s.
Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in the news conference that one officer fired his service weapon, striking the suspect in the shoulder. She said the man was taken to the hospital, where he is being treated for his injuries.
Police did not name Bickford in their news conference.
Bickford’s mother filled her Facebook page with pictures of Bickford. The page says that she is an “Independent Certified Optavia Health Coach.” Many of her Facebook posts deal with weight loss stories.
In a Facebook post on July 28, 2022, his mother called Bickford an “old soul” who amazes her “every day with all that you enjoy to explore and do. I love that you have no fear of trying new things.” She declared in the Facebook post that she was “beyond proud of the man you are becoming.”
3. Bickford Graduated From High School in 2022 & Spent Time Living in Seattle Training to Be a Commercial Diver
Facebook/Audra Simpson/Trevor Bickford with his mother.
Bickford, who turned 19 in July, graduated from Wells High School in 2022, according to his mother’s Facebook page. According to his mother’s Facebook page, Bickford moved to Seattle in August 2022 to train to be a commercial diver. Bickford returned to Maine recently, according to his mother’s Facebook posts.
According to his mother’s Facebook posts, he was attending the Divers Institute of Technology in Seattle. “Been a crazy month getting everything in order, but so so happy for him and this next chapter of his life,” Bickford’s mom wrote on Facebook.
According to WMTW, the FBI and local police were at Bickford’s family’s home in Wells on New Year’s Day, searching the house. “Multiple vehicles entered the home’s driveway, and FBI agents could be seen entering the home, carrying out some items and taking photos,” the news station reported.
4. Bickford’s Father Died of an Overdose in 2018
Facebook/Audra SimpsonTrevor Bickford in one of his mother’s Facebook posts.
Bickford’s father’s obituary indicates that the man, Thomas Kimo Bickford, died unexpectedly at the age of 41, the obituary says.
Bickford’s father was born in New Hampshire, and he lived in Wells, Maine almost all of his life, the obituary says. He was married to Audra D’Antilio in 2001, the obituary says. Trevor Bickford was listed in the obituary as one of three sons, according to the obituary.
The New York Post reported that Bickford’s dad died of an overdose.
Bickford played on his high school football team, according to the school district website.
The Portland Press Herald listed him as being on the honor roll for Wells High School.
Trevor Bickford’s paternal grandmother “worked for 30 years at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. She held several positions in her time at the shipyard and was one of the first women to go on sea trials on the Kamehameha submarine,” according to her obituary, which says that his paternal grandfather was stationed at Pearl Harbor.
5. The Police Commissioner Says the Attack Was ‘Unprovoked’
Facebook/Audra SimpsonTrevor Bickford.
The mayor said in the press conference that one of the officers who was attacked had just graduated from the police academy.
“We are really pleased by the response, and how our officers handled this situation,” the mayor said.
Sewell said one injured officer is an 8-year veteran of the force, and he suffered a laceration to the head. The officer who graduated from the police academy on December 30, 2022, has a skull fracture and a large laceration, Sewell said.
All of the officers are in stable condition, the mayor said in the news conference.
Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said the incident occurred at about 10:11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2022.
@Tom_Winter 19 year-old Trevor Bickford was the suspect in NYC machete attack.
The attack took place at West 52 Street and 8th Avenue, she said in the news conference.
Sewell, speaking in the news conference, called the attack “unprovoked.”
“A 19-year-old male approached an officer and attempted to strike him over the head with a machete,” she said in the news conference.
Sewell said police are working with federal authorities on the investigation.
Mike Driscoll, the FBI special agent in charge of the New York office, was also at the press conference. During it, he commended the “brave actions” of the NYPD officers.
He said the FBI was “working to determine the nature of this attack.”
“We believe this was a sole individual at this time. There is nothing to indicate otherwise,” Driscoll said in the news conference.
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