Trevor Bickford was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison on Thursday for a “brazen” knife attack in Times Square on New Year’s Eve 2022, which badly injured three New York City Police Department officers, according to the Department of Justice.
Bickford, who was 19 at the time of the attack, traveled from Maine in December 2022 with the intention of carrying out a jihadist attack on officers in uniform with a “machete-style knife,” according to authorities.
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In January, he pleaded guilty to six federal charges stemming from the incident, including three counts of attempted murder and three counts of assault.
Bickford, now 20 years old, also received a lifetime sentence of supervised release.
“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,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “The Justice Department is deeply grateful to the New York Police Department for its quick actions and bravery in disrupting this New Year’s Eve attack, as well as for the work it does every day to keep New Yorkers safe.” The Justice Department will always support its state and local law enforcement partners as we work together to combat the threat of terrorism, and that includes relentlessly prosecuting those who want to attack officers.”
Bickford faced up to 120 years in prison—20 years for each charge.
Prior to Thursday’s sentencing, the government requested a sentence of at least 50 years in prison, arguing in a court filing that it “is necessary and appropriate to reflect the extraordinarily serious nature of the defendant’s terrorism offense, to provide just punishment for the defendant’s conduct, to deter and prevent the defendant from resuming activities in support of radical terrorist ideology, and to deter others who, like the defendant, would seek to carry out
Prosecutors claimed that Bickford’s “brutal actions” had long-term effects on the three officers, who now feel that life in prison is appropriate.
In the meantime, the defense advocated for a 10-year prison sentence, followed by 15 years of supervised release. In a court filing before sentencing, they emphasized his youth at the time of the attack as a crucial mitigating element, claiming his crimes were “informed by an unhealthy obsession with Islam” stemming from an undiagnosed mental condition.
“Mr. Bickford is deeply apologetic to the officers, their families, and the witnesses that night,” according to his lawyers. “He knows the sorrow and suffering he has caused and would do anything to undo his actions. Although Mr. Bickford understands that he cannot erase the past, he is certain that he can improve his future and has worked hard to do so at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
An 18-inch kukri knife attacked three NYPD officers stationed at a checkpoint near Times Square on December 31, 2022. The attack occurred at the intersection of West 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue, beyond the designated safe area for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
One of the injured officers shot Bickford and detained him after the incident. According to prosecutors, police discovered Bickford’s backpack near the incident scene. A section of a book inside the rucksack stated, “Fight in the Name of Allah and for Allah’s Cause.” Fight everyone who does not believe in Allah.” Fight a holy war,” according to prosecutors.
The Southern District of New York lawsuit claims that Bickford informed investigators that the attack failed because no policemen died and he did not become a martyr.
Prosecutors said Bickford planned the Times Square attack after “months of radicalization” and had originally wanted to travel overseas to support the Taliban before deciding on an attack in the United States.
Bickford is also facing more than a dozen state charges in connection with the New Year’s Eve attack, including three counts of attempted first-degree murder in support of a terrorist act. He is due to appear in court for the state case on May 22.
