Representational Image Reuters
New York(US): The 19-year-old alleged Islamic radical arrested in the New Year’s Eve machete attack on NYPD was ‘influenced’ by the Islamic propaganda.
Post his arrest, Trevor Bickford of Wells, Maine revealed that he wanted to travel Afghanistan and join Hardline Islamists – Taliban.
As per the reports, he told cops that he specifically sought to target “a uniformed officer” or someone with a gun because he believed them to be an “enemy of the state,”.
The attack that injured three policemen happened shortly after 10 p.m. at West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, just outside checkpoints for the high-security zone set up for people celebrating new Year.
According to Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, the suspect approached an officer and attempted to strike him over the head with the machete.
According to Sewell, he then struck two officers in the head with the blade before being shot in the shoulder and apprehended by police.
The injured officers were released from the hospital and were expected to recover.
Further interrogation with Trevor revealed that he had hatched the plot as recently as Friday.
As per the reports, Bickford’s view towards religion changed since his father’s death due to overdose in 2018.However, he started expressing radicalised views as recently as a month ago.
Police say, he was already on an FBI terrorism watchlist after his mother and aunt tipped off the agency about his allegedly extremist opinions.
The federal agents had also interviewed him in mid-December after the tip-off, report say.
Police theory says that he did not appear to be affiliated to any Islamic terror group, neither did have a criminal record.
But he was aware that his activities on Internet are being watched by FBI due to his problematic posts on Social media.
According to sources, he had planned to travel to Afghanistan to join Islamic militants, but instead travelled toNew York alone on December 29 and stayed at the Bowery Mission.
According to police and sources, he entered Times Square on Saturday, walked up to cops without being noticed, and began swinging the weapon, a type of machete known as a Gurkha.
According to sources, he carried a diary as well as a disturbing manifesto urging his family to “repent to Allah and accept Islam.”
According to the sources, the handwritten note specifically mentions his brothers, Travis and Devon, who are both in the US Marine Corps.
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