Suspect in New Year’s Eve machete attack now facing federal charges of attempted murder

By Rob Frehse, CNN

The suspect in the New Year’s Eve machete attack on three police officers in New York City has been charged with four counts of attempted murder, according to federal court documents, in addition to several state charges already lodged against him.

Trevor Bickford, 19, is charged with one count of attempted murder of officers and employees of the US government and three counts of attempted murder of officers and employees of the US government and persons assisting them, according to the complaint.

The complaint in part contends he intended to kill military-aged men working for the US government and NYPD officers working with the FBI to protect revelers.

“On this past New Year’s Eve, revelers flocked to Times Square to ring in the New Year with friends and family,” US Attorney Damian Williams said. “But Trevor Bickford allegedly targeted the iconic yearly celebration to carry out a brazen act of violence and hatred in the name of jihad.”

CNN has reached out to the Federal Defenders of New York, which is representing Bickford, for comment.

Bickford was previously indicted on more than a dozen state charges, including several terrorism charges, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

Rosemary Vassallo-Vellucci, who represents Bickford in that case, previously told CNN her client should be presumed innocent.

Federal prosecutors included in the complaint images from body camera footage that purportedly shows Bickford during the attack, striking officers with the knife allegedly used, a kukri.

If convicted on all counts in the federal case, Bickford could face up to 80 years in prison, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors have said the suspect traveled to New York “in order to kill people and carry out jihad.”

Bickford entered the security area of the Times Square checkpoint on New Year’s Eve, where he allegedly pulled out a machete, struck an officer with the blade and another officer in the head with the handle, authorities have said. He then swung the blade at a third officer, who shot the suspect in the shoulder, according to the NYPD.

Bickford, according to a criminal complaint, told authorities during his interview that he said “(Allahu) Akbar” before he walked up and hit the officer over the head with the weapon.

Prosecutors in that case alleged that the suspect said that all government officials were his target, since they “cannot be proper Muslims because the United States government supports Israel.”

The three officers were hospitalized in stable condition and have since been released.

The suspect earlier had caught the attention of the FBI, and he was interviewed by federal agents last month in Maine after he said he wanted to travel overseas to help fellow Muslims and was willing to die for his religion, multiple law enforcement officers have said.

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CNN’s Kara Scannell, Sabrina Souza, Mark Morales and Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.