Trevor Bickford: Suspected Times Square 'terrorist' tried to grab cop's gun 'to kill and carry out jihad'
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion advised
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: An ordinary American boy who allegedly became an Islamist terrorist and slashed two NYPD cops with a machete in Times Square on New Years' Eve wanted "to kill and carry out jihad," a court heard. Trevor Bickford, 19, attacked the officers after he noticed they were isolated and reportedly tried to grab an officer's "gun to kill them."
The vicious attack took place between 51st and 52nd Street, right outside Times Square where thousands were celebrating the New Year. A third officer was also injured during the attack, a rookie who was on the first day of his job and was left with a fractured skull. Bickford was reportedly shot by another officer in the shoulder. All parties were taken to Bellevue hospital. Bickford was arraigned from his hospital bed on Wednesday, January 4, and was charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of assault.
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Bickford attacked three officers - rookies Paul Cozzolino, Michael Hanna and Louis Iorio with an 18-inch blade. Prosecutors highlighted that Bickford allegedly told investigators that he "wanted to kill an officer in uniform." "I saw the officer and waited until he was alone. I said, 'Allauh Akbar.''" "I walked up and hit him over the head with a kukri. I charged another officer but dropped the knife and I tried to get the police officer's gun but couldn't," Bickford said, reported Daily Mail.
Assistant District Attorney Lucy Nicholas told the judge, the "defendant admitted that he purposely waited until he saw a moment when the officer was isolated and not near any civilians when he could attack him." "He said after he dropped his knife after attacking the first officer, he wanted to grab the other officer's firearm to kill them but was unable to get the gun out of the holster," Nicholas said. "He specifically targeted a uniformed police officer because an officer is a man in a uniform with a weapon."
However, The Legal Aid Society representing Bickford claimed, "Trevor Bickford, who is just a teenager, has no prior contact with the criminal legal system." "Earlier today, Mr. Bickford was arraigned from Bellevue Hospital after languishing in NYPD custody for nearly four days despite a well-established court requirement that an arraignment take place within 24-hours of arrest," they wrote. The legal aid added they will have more to say after a thorough investigation and asked the public to refrain from "drawing hasty conclusions."
"We've just received initial discovery from the District Attorney's office, and we'll have more to say about this case after a thorough review and investigation," reported the source. "For now, we ask the public to refrain from drawing hasty conclusions and to respect the privacy of our client's family." If Bickford is convicted he faces a mandatory life sentence on charges of attempted murder of a police officer. His next court date is scheduled for Friday.