A young man with a machete attacked the policemen in Times Square during the celebration of the New Year

Three police officers are in stable condition after being attacked by a man with a machete in Times Square, reports CNN.

According to Commissioner Keechant Sewell, the attack took place just after 31 pm on Saturday (December 52) at the intersection of West 8nd Street and XNUMXth Avenue, outside the screening area in Times Square during New Year's celebrations.

The suspect, 19-year-old Trevor Bickford, approached the officer and attempted to stab him in the head with a machete. He then hit two more policemen. After that, one of them fired a service weapon, hitting the suspect in the shoulder. The suspect has been arrested and is being treated for his injuries.

One officer, a recent graduate of the police academy, suffered a fractured skull and a large head laceration. Another officer, an eight-year police veteran, received a laceration, the commissioner said. What injuries the third officer received was not specified.

The FBI, NYPD and the Joint Terrorism Task Force are investigating.

“I want to be clear. There is no permanent threat,” said Mike Driscoll, FBI assistant director in charge of the New York office. We believe it was the same person. There is nothing to indicate otherwise.”

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Driscoll said the FBI, through the task force, is working closely with the NYPD to determine the nature of the attack. And "will work through every thread."

Taliban fan

After the arrest, the police found a handwritten diary in the 19-year-old criminal, in which he wrote about his desire to join the Taliban in Afghanistan and dreamed of "dying a martyr."

Trevor Bickford remains under police protection at Bellevue Hospital, where he is being treated after a gunshot wound received during his arrest. No charges have been brought against him yet, the police are determining the articles on which he should be held accountable. The investigation is ongoing.

New York Mayor Eric Adams praised the actions of the police. And he noted that the police officers who arrived at the scene immediately cordoned off the scene. They also acted “with the level of professionalism that we expect from all officers.”