Man Who Carried Out Machete Attack on NYPD Officers in Times Square on New Year’s Eve 2022 Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison

Trevor Bickford, 20, of Wells, Maine, was sentenced to 324 months in prison for attempting to kill officers and employees of the U.S. Government and persons assisting them during his brazen attack using a machete-style knife against three New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers in Times Square on Dec. 31, 2022. Bickford pleaded guilty to terrorism charges on Jan. 11.

“Today’s sentence holds Trevor Bickford accountable for his premeditated 2022 terrorist attack in Times Square during which he attempted to kill three NYPD officers in a violent rampage,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is deeply grateful to the NYPD for its quick actions and bravery in disrupting this New Year’s Eve attack, and for the work it does every day to keep New Yorkers safe. The Justice Department will always stand by its state and local law enforcement partners as we work together to counter the threat of terrorism, and that includes being relentless in prosecuting those who seek to harm officers.”

“The defendant’s brutal ambush of three New York City police officers keeping watch over New Year’s Eve celebrations was a premeditated act of terrorism,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Police officers work tirelessly to protect the communities they serve and assaults on them are reprehensible. He planned, prepared, and travelled to conduct a savage attack in support of his violent ideology and now he is being held accountable for his actions.”

Read more: Department of Justice