People can be seen sprinting by a crowd, and others standing outside a window then drop down. I wanted to kill them, Mr. Rojas told a traffic enforcement agent at the time, according to a criminal complaint. ", 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.". Sources say he was put on the list because his aunt reported he had been radicalized online and expressed a desire to travel overseas and fight with Islamic extremists. 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. Times Square Ball Mystery Brews: Where Did 2023' Go? Cohen said threats today are very different from ones the nation faced on Sept. 11, 2001. 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 injured police were out of the hospital and expected to recover. The weapon appeared to be a Gurkha knife, a type of curved blade, according to ABC News contributor Darrell M. Blocker, a retired CIA operative. They weren't really close, they weren't close friends or whatever. Moments after the attack, Bickford was shot in the shoulder by police. Mayor Hidetaka . After the attack, police officials said, Mr. Rojas claimed he had smoked PCP. 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. His reality is altered by his acute psychotic state.. A . Authorities believe Bickford has owned the weapon for about a year. The package, which also includes ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), laser-guided rocket systems and 155mm artillery rounds, is being provided . Early Monday, authorities were in and out of the suspect's home in Wells, Maine. A Maine teenager charged in a New Year 's Eve machete attack on three New York City cops near Times Square was arraigned from a hospital bed on Wednesday as . John Dias is an Emmy-nominated reporter. The knife attack and gunfire startled a long line of crowds waiting to join the NYE celebrations. The attack happened near 52nd Street and 8th Avenue just after 10 p.m. Saturday, less than two hours before the ball dropped in Times Square to ring in 2023. 4 min read. "He was in good spirits," Adams said. When Mr. Rojas returned to the Bronx, friends said, he seemed paranoid and irritable, expressing scorn for the government and railing against taxes, parking tickets and police stops. 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. The judge sided with the prosecution, ordered Bickford remanded after his arraignment. There was Caroline Johns, an executive assistant, who was out for lunch; she suffered a punctured lung. FBI Assistant Director in Charge Mike Driscoll said the bureau's Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved to "ascertain what is the nature of the attack." Sewell asked any witnesses to contact the NYPD. Thursday, March 2, 2023 Police recovered a sleeping bag linked to the suspect, sources said. Richard Rojas, right, admitted that he was a user of PCP, and relatives said his mental health had declined since he was discharged from the Navy. The suspect, reportedly from Maine, had no previous arrest record, but was known to federal and local law enforcement because of previous online postings, police sources told NBC and ABC News. Neighbors told NBC affiliate WCSH of Portland, Maine, that the suspect is the child of divorced parents and has two siblings. One of the officers involved in the incident had graduated from the police academy on Friday, Sewell said. Payton Gendron is led into the courtroom for a hearing at Erie County Court in Buffalo, N.Y., on May 19, 2022. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment More posts you may like . Sewell asked any witnesses to contact the NYPD. Richard Rojas, a Navy veteran, spiraled after he was discharged. He took an Amtrak train to New York City on Dec. 29, the sources said. 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. Here's a rundown of this wonderful program: Day One: After an early morning departure we arrive at West . Officials believed the suspect acted alone, and the FBI says there is no ongoing threat. "It's kind of hard to believe, I was just shocked, you know?" The NYPD released an image of a weapon, saying it had been recovered at the scene. 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. A couple minutes later, you can see police clearing everyone out of the area, many quickly rushing by, others running. "What it entails is that you have specially trained law enforcement working with mental health professionals. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams) - 2NDW2TY from Alamy's library of . https://t.co/ha11b02Fvq. The suspect said in the diary he regrets disappointing his mother; he also wrote that he wanted his brothers to join him in his fight for Islam, they said. Trevor Bickford, the 19-year-old suspect charged in the Times Square attack on NYPD officers. "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. All Rights Reserved. The actions that police officers must take every day are life-threatening situations," Adams said. Scholz: "In the event of an attack, we will defend every square centimeter of NATO territory together" Update from March 1, 4:35 p.m.: For Latvia, Germany's help is crucial to Ukraine's survival in the Russian war of aggression. 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. At this time, there's nothing to indicate otherwise," an FBI official said. It was very, very terrifying to the public and people that work here," Sicilliano said. While a motive remains under investigation, authorities are not ruling out the possibility that the suspect came to New York City specifically to attack police officers at the Times Square ball drop, law enforcement sources told ABC News. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. One News Page. 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. Reb Yoel Kahn (chief oral scribe of the Rebbe) gave many Lectures on Chassidus. A local pizza shop employee said panicked revelers fled amid the chaos. "The reality is that this threat of online radicalization from organizations like ISIS and al-Qaida really never went away.". Global Edition. Relatives had reportedly contacted law enforcement in recent weeks to report their concerns that he was gravitating toward dangerous Islamist ideologies. Multiple law enforcement sources identified the suspect as Trevor Bickford, 19, of Wells, Maine. Prior to New Years Eve, the NYPD noted in a pre-event assessment that throughout December "multiple pro-ISIS users disseminated extremist propaganda graphics broadly calling for attacks in advance of the New Year, advocating a wide range of low-tech tactics." 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 When a verdict of not responsible by reason of mental disease or defect is entered, state law requires a judge to order that the defendant undergo a psychiatric examination. 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. One News Page Home; Editions. The blocks where the biggest crowds gather to see performances and the midnight ball drop can only be accessed through checkpoints where officers use metal-detecting wands to screen for weapons. Bickford was shot in the shoulder amid the chaos that ensued. CBS2's Tim McNicholas spoke to that officer briefly Monday. He remains hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. The three officers who were wounded are recovering at home. His name is in a federal law enforcement database, they said, and he was known to investigators for his social media postings. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Our condolences continue to be with the family, friends and loved ones of Alyssa Elsman, who suffered a terrible and tragic loss, and all of the victims of this horrific incident, he said. One of the officers fired their weapon, striking the suspect in the shoulder, Sewell said. "Were dealing with individuals, all of which, regardless of the motive, are experiencing somewhat consistent behavioral health issues," Cohen said. "Threat assessment is a systematic, fact-based method of investigation and examination that blends the collection of analysis of multiple sources of information with published research and practitioner experience, focusing on an individual's patterns of thinking and behavior to determine whether, and to what extent, a person of concern is moving toward an attack," the report states. Another hurt officer had just graduated from the police academy on Friday, and as is traditionally the case, his first assignment was the New Year's Eve detail in Times Square. This is no place for sweaty palms. (The Associated Press contributed to this report. February 28, 2023 - 7 Adar 5783. The New York Police Department released video on Sunday showing an unidentified Black male seen wearing a black zip up jacket and gray or white sweatpants rush up behind a woman at. Mayor Eric Adams said one of the injured officers just graduated from the police academy Friday. I walked up and hit him over the head with a kukri. He remains hospitalized. Three police officers were wounded in the attack by a 19-year-old male suspect who was shot in the shoulder and arrested, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a press conference with Mayor Eric Adams. Investigators were probing whether he stayed at a homeless shelter downtown, the four officials said. Investigators trying to pinpoint motive in NYPD machete attack, Suspect charged with attempted murder in New Year's Eve machete attack. New surveillance video from inside Fiorintina's Pizza on Eighth Avenue captured the chaotic moments. 1:15. Officials expected as many as 1 million people to crowd the area. Trevor Bickford, whom senior law enforcement officials have described as a "homegrown violent extremist," is accused of swinging a large knife at three different cops he approached on Eighth Avenue, between 51st and 52nd streets, just after 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve, a night when midtown streets are jam-packed with tourists and holiday revelers. Maybe they come to the attention of law enforcement initially because of their online behavior, maybe its other behaviors theyre exhibiting that family or others observe.". Reports say he took an Amtrak from Maine to New York on Thursday, but sources tell CBS2 the NYPD was not aware and did not know he was on an FBI watch list. The knife, which NYPD officials said was old and rusty, was purchased in Maine, where Bickford also withdrew thousands of dollars in cash at some point before taking Amtrak to New York on December 29. He had expressed some desire to travel to Afghanistan in the past, the officials said. Trevor Bickford, 19, has been charged with attempted murder for attacking New York City police officers on New Year's Eve near Times Square. 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. Youre trying to steal my identity, Mr. Rojas stated during that incident, according to a criminal complaint. So everybody kind of knows everybody.". NEW YORK The Pakistani immigrant who tried to detonate a car bomb on a busy Saturday night in Times Square accepted a life sentence . Nicholas said Bickford at first indicated he wanted to travel internationally but decided instead to come to New York to carry out "jihad." Should authorities determine the attack was motivated by an Islamist ideology, it would make it the first terror incident associated with New Years Eve in Times Square, authorities said. "We're looking for somebody who we can associate with a foreign terrorist group or looking at somebody who meets the threshold of a federal terrorism investigation. The family, he said, would not get to tell the court about the impact of his daughters death. A preliminary review shows the man has no previous arrests but he was known to federal and local law enforcement because of previous online postings, the sources added. 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. Adams, Sewell and Driscoll all praised the officers who were attacked and other officers at the scene for how they dealt with the violence. 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. News Ukraine Russia Kharkiv Attack. According to sources, the mother and aunt of Trevor Bickford notified law enforcement in recent weeks about their concerns he was gravitating toward dangerous Islamist ideologies. The attacks occurred outside the security screening area set up around Times Square for the traditional New Year's Eve ball drop. There was Jessica Williams, a high school senior in Midtown who was on her senior skip day; her spine detached from her pelvis. "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. Driver in Fatal Times Square Attack Found Not Responsible Because of Mental Illness Richard Rojas, a Navy veteran, spiraled after he was discharged. ", Cohen added, "Thats why we continue to see instances where people come to the attention of the bureau or law enforcement, theyre assessed that way, they dont meet that threshold, they dont become the subject of a full-field investigation, yet they go out and commit an act of violence.". He realized the situation he was in and offered an excuse, Mr. Peterson told jurors. Outside the courthouse, Thomas Elsman, the father of Alyssa, said that the verdict was more than disappointing. Prosecutors said he was culpable, but failed to sway jurors in the 2017 attack that left one dead and injured nearly two dozen. Mike Driscoll, assistant director for the New York FBI field office, said at the press conference that agents are working very closely with the NYPD to determine the nature of this attack. Driscoll declined to offer any further details. He was recently placed on an FBI terror watch list, according to a high-ranking police source. 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. 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 remained in a hospital Tuesday evening, pending an arraignment. 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. Times Square was targeted for a terrorist attack in May 2010, when a Pakistani immigrant tried to detonate a car bomb in the Crossroads of the World. He may have traveled to New York City specifically to target police, sources told the networks. The attack happened near 52nd Street and 8th Avenue just after 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve, less than two hours before the ball dropped in Times Square to ring in 2023. A neighbor in Maine, Steve Isles, told reporters Bickford has two brothers, and they're well known in the neighborhood. 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 . Watch as Police Commissioner Sewell & Mayor Adams provide an update on a police involved incident in Manhattan. A prosecutor, Alfred Peterson, in his summation, reprised the grievous injuries suffered by several people Mr. Rojas struck with his car, some of whom had testified. They tried to restrict his ability to travel, but look what happened.". ___ Trevor Bickford, the 19-year-old suspect charged in the Times Square attack on NYPD officers. In 2014, a radicalized man attacked three officers with a hatchet without warning in Queens. Large bags and coolers are banned. FBI agents with court authorization searched the man's home in Maine on Sunday, an agency spokesperson said. He is due back in court Feb. 1. The NYPD released an image of a weapon that officials recovered at the scene. Two teens suffered cuts after they were attacked by a man in Times Square early Wednesday morning, police said. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Primary Menu Sections Skip to search results The scene near where the attack happened. A deranged homeless man allegedly shoved an Asian woman to her death in front of an oncoming subway train Saturday morning in Times Square, police said. The FBI determined Bickford allegedly wanted to fight in Afghanistan and placed him on a federal watch list to prevent him from traveling overseas, Galati said. / CBS New York. Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States, Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police . The attacks occurred outside the security screening area set up around Times Square for the traditional New Years Eve ball drop. The official could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Moments after the. At least one officer fired upon the suspect, striking him in the shoulder. He remained hospitalized on Wednesday, but was out of bed to face a judge via video. Oct. 5, 2010. Thousands of officers are deployed in the area, including many new recruits to the force. 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