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Alleged wannabe jihadist Trevor Bickford, accused of machete attack on NYC cops, to remain behind bars
In his first appearance in Manhattan federal court, suspect Trevor Thomas Bickford, 19, of Maine consented to remain behind bars pending trial on four counts of attempting to murder officers and em…
nypost.com
Alleged wannabe jihadist Trevor Bickford, accused of machete attack on NYC cops, to remain behind bars
By
Ben Feuerherd
February 6, 2023 6:55pm
Updated
The alleged wannabe jihadist accused of attacking three NYPD cops with a machete-like weapon on New Year’s Eve was ordered held without bail Monday.
In his first appearance in Manhattan federal court, suspect Trevor Thomas Bickford, 19, of Maine consented to remain behind bars pending trial on four counts of attempting to murder officers and employees of the US government.
At the brief hearing, Bickford, shackled at the hands and feet and wearing a gray jail jumpsuit, requested Judge Ona Wang appoint a lawyer to represent him in the case.
Bickford did not enter a plea at the hearing. His current lawyer, Marisa Cabrera, declined to comment on the case in the hallway outside of the courtroom.
Bickford is accused of attacking three NYPD officers near 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan around 10:10 p.m. with a kukri, a machete-like weapon with a blade more than a foot long.
Federal investigators believe Bickford radicalized in the summer of 2022. Facebook/Audra D'Antilio Simpson
He allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar!” — or “God is great!” — before swinging at the officers with the blade, striking each of them in the head with the weapon.
One of the cops was able to step back from Bickford during the attack, pulled his gun and shot him in the shoulder, federal prosecutors said.
Police say Bickford attacked three cops with a foot-long blade. NYPD
Federal investigators believe Bickford became radicalized in the summer of 2022, in part by consuming Islamist propaganda, including the teachings of a “spiritual mentor” of al Qaeda.
He faces a maximum sentence of 80 years in prison if convicted on the counts in the complaint against him.