The Maine 20-year-old accused of trying to murder NYPD officers in a 2022 New Year’s Eve machete attack near Times Square changed his plea on several terror-related counts to guilty Thursday. Chief investigative reporter Jonathan Dienst with the latest.
The Maine 20-year-old accused of trying to murder NYPD officers in a 2022 New Year's Eve machete attack near Times Square was sentenced to nearly three decades in prison after pleading guilty to several terror-related charges.
Trevor Bickford was indicted in Jan. 2023 on terror charges including attempted murder, assault and aggravated assault on a police officer, according to the Manhattan DA. He pleaded guilty a year later to five counts involving those charges, which stem from the Dec. 31, 2023, attack on three cops he approached on Eighth Avenue between 51st and 52nd streets.
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Bickford previously told the judge he was under psychiatric treatment for schizoaffective disorder. During his guilty plea in January, he told the court "On Dec. 31, 2022, I attempted to kill 3 uniformed NYPD officers in an attack with a knife while they were working. I know what I did was wrong and I'm sorry."
As part of his plea, Bickford admitted he scouted Times Square and chose a group of NYPD officers as his target. He said he carried out the attack to wage jihad, with the goal of killing military aged men so he could become a martyr. Bickford allegedly made statements to detectives implicating himself once in custody.
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"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. "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."
Had the case gone to trial, among the government's evidence were the 12-inch machete used in the attack, a journal found at the scene with Trevor's "last Will and Testament" and officers' body camera video that showed the attack. Video showed the machete coming down on the cops, while Bickford's face could also be seen as he swung the weapon.
"He planned, prepared, and traveled to conduct a savage attack in support of his violent ideology, and now he is being held accountable for his actions," said FBI Director Christopher Wray.
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All three officers were treated for their injuries and released from the hospital a day after the incident. One officer suffered a fractured skull in the attack.
The three officers were in the courtroom for the sentencing and offered victim impact statements.
"I’m greatly affected, my ability to be a police officer. Because of Mr. Bickford’s action, I can’t do the job I held for a decade," said Officer Louis Iorio told the court. He suffered a cut on his scalp and said he continues to have migraines, adding that he is being forced into retirement.
Prosecutors said Bickford tried to grab an officer’s gun before shots were fired. A bullet struck Bickford in the shoulder amid the chaos that ensued.
Officer Mickel Hanna, who fired the single shot into Bickford’s shoulder, ending the rampage, spoke of how he never wanted to have to use his service weapon, but "if I didn’t, people could have died that night”. Hanna said he lost his sense of security and does not like being in crowds.
Officer Paul Cozzolino, who graduated from the academy the day before, told the court, “It’s a day that will live with me forever.” He suffered a skull fracture and told the court he can "“"deal with the physical pain, but going home to family is the most important part that I’ll cherish forever."
Bickford looked at the officers while they gave their statements. It came after he addressed the court, apologizing again to the officers he hurt, as well as to his family and the country.
"I’ve left scars… and I hope the victims can forgive me," he said.
Bickford had potentially faced up to 120 years in prison, though prosecutors had asked for a 50-year sentence. His attorneys said their client suffers from mental illness and hallucinations, and had been radicalized by Islamic jihadist material online. They had asked for a 10-year sentence.
The judge disagreed with the defense's arguments, and noted how Bickford chose New Year's Eve in midtown Manhattan, a globally televised event, to carry out his attack.
"Fortunately he could not get his hands on a gun. This could have turned out much worse," said Judge Kevin Castel.
The sentence will be served at the Federal Medical Center Devens, in Massachusetts.
