Authorities are revealing more about the teenager suspected of attacking multiple New York Police Department officers on New Year’s Eve with a machete.
According to authorities, Trevor Bickford, 19, from Maine, attacked three NYPD officers near Times Square on Saturday at roughly 10:11 p.m., attempting to strike one with a machete before hitting two other officers in the head with the weapon.
During a Times Square checkpoint where officers routinely check bags for weapons and suspicious items, Bickford pulled out a machete and struck one officer with the blade and another officer in the head with the handle before swinging the blade at a third officer, who then shot him in the shoulder.
New reports reveal Bickford was previously placed on the FBI‘s terror watchlist and was interviewed by agents in the weeks before the attack.
According to CNN, Bickford told agents he wanted to travel overseas to help fellow Muslims and was willing to die for his religion.
Bickford’s mother and grandmother became increasingly concerned about his desire to travel to Afghanistan to join the Taliban and reported this to the Wells, Maine, police department out of concern for him on December 10, the sources said.
When the FBI opened its wider investigation they also placed him on a terrorist watch list, according to sources. Because the Taliban is not designated a foreign terrorist entity, planning to travel to Afghanistan to join the group does not constitute the federal crime of “attempted material support of a terrorist group.”
Brickman reportedly traveled via Amtrak so internal databases weren’t tripped.
His original destination was Miami, the sources said, but he stopped in New York and checked in at the Grand Hotel near the Bowery in Manhattan on December 29. He checked out on New Year’s Eve with all his luggage before allegedly conducting the Times Square machete attack, the sources said.
The report also notes authorities found what is believed to be Bickford’s diary during the search which contained radicalized ideas about the Taliban as well as a passage intended to be his “last will and testament.”
According to multiple law enforcement sources, the last entry, dated December 31, begins with, “This will likely be my last entry,” and goes on to leave instructions on how to divide the author’s belongings among his family and instructions for his burial, according to sources familiar with the diary’s contents.
Authorities are investigating Bickford’s potential ties to Islamic extremism, he is not facing any terrorism-related charges at this time.
Authorities charged Bickford, with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and attempted assault for the alleged attacks. The NYPD and FBI are handling the investigation together, and FBI agents reportedly entered Bickford’s Maine home on Monday.
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How many more like him nationwide?
How many more are still coming across our open border?
Taliban is not a terror group? Who makes these decisions? Another poor one by the present administration.
Brandon made that decision when he gave the taliban $85 billion worth of equipment
Not to nit pick, but these are Hussein’s anti- American actions backed by billionaires.
I don’t give that creep ANY credit other than being a soft puppet.
Nah they only hold conservatives in prison and call them terrorists for entering a building with flags . And taking selfies. This guy will probably be let go with an Apology from fbiisahole any time now .
Today’s FBI. Taliban…not terrorists. Concerned parents… terrorists.
Hmm, another F-bee-eye failure?
Place him on the terrorist watch list? Just like a woman who get a restraining order. It’s not worth the paper its written on. Biden loves our enemies. FBI could care lets who these terrorists kill!
Taliban A non terrorist group, funded and armed by slojoe.
You know what they always said about taking a knife to a gunfight. Guess it’s true. What in the heck is wrong with Maine? Isn’t that where Susan Collins is from? She usually comes down on the side of gun haters. Must be working in Maine. Now they should work on what makes them go out and hate on policemen I guess.
Not a Trump supporter. No interest for the FBI.
Of course they did. You can’t take away American freedoms without fear.
No Free Speech for Communists or their WOKE terrorists.
i wonder how much they paid him?
The FBI is WAY too busy persecuting Republicans and unjustly accusing and arresting ANYBODY who was anywhere near the Capitol on Jan. 6th to worry about terrorists. They are NOT a law enforcement agency any longer–they are the GESTAPO of the Demmunist Party!
In Iran they still cut the hands off of thieves?