Times Square bomber sentenced, warns of additional attacks. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. Officers attacked near Times Square on NYE: New details emerge. Our condolences continue to be with the family, friends and loved ones of Alyssa Elsman, who suffered a terrible and tragic loss, and all of the victims of this horrific incident, he said. Some of Mr. Rojass relatives testified as defense witnesses, describing how, as one of his lawyers said, he had descended into madness, even attempting suicide. Associated Press. Richard Rojas, right, admitted that he was a user of PCP, and relatives said his mental health had declined since he was discharged from the Navy. Adams, Sewell and Driscoll all praised the officers who were attacked and other officers at the scene for how they dealt with the violence. He is expected back in court for a grand jury on Friday. Headed up by "Bike New York," the bicycles for illegal aliens program is working in direct partnership with the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, the New York City Department of Transportation, and other government entities to get bikes into the hands of illegals. FBI agents with court authorization searched the man's home in Maine on Sunday, an agency spokesperson said. On May 18, 2017, a car was crashed in Times Square, New York City, United States.One person was killed and 20 were injured. The blocks where the biggest crowds gather to see performances and the midnight ball drop can only be accessed through checkpoints where officers use metal-detecting wands to screen for weapons. Sewell asked any witnesses to contact the NYPD. The Times Square attack was not Mr. Rojass first encounter with the law. The incident occurred just after 10 p.m. on Saturday near West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, outside the secure area that had been set up for New Year's Eve celebrations, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell told reporters at a news conference at Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital. A video of Ukrainian citizens praying in the town square of Kharkiv after Russia invaded the country has gone viral . The suspect, reportedly from Maine, had no previous arrest record, but was known to federal and local law enforcement because of previous online postings, police sources told NBC and ABC News. Police say attack happened around 10 p.m. Just after 10 p.m. he went to the Times Square checkpoint at West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue where officers check bags for weapons or suspicious. "Just goes to show you, if it's not your first day, it could be your last day. At this time, there's nothing to indicate otherwise," an FBI official said. He said that the FBI believes the attacker was acting alone. Global Edition. The new publication "Lectures in Tanya" teaches in English the Tanya Shiurim of famed Chozer and teacher Rabbi Yoel Kahn obm, which are infused with the authentic warmth of Chassidus and deep explanations. Informations sur votre appareil et sur votre connexion Internet, y compris votre adresseIP, Navigation et recherche lors de lutilisation des sites Web et applications Yahoo. They weren't really close, they weren't close friends or whatever. But Cohen conceded there are likely "thousands" of reports like the one flagged to authorities in Maryland. Watch as Police Commissioner Sewell & Mayor Adams provide an update on a police involved incident in Manhattan. In Saturday's attack, the officers were initially hospitalized, one with a fractured skull and another with a bad cut, Sewell said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today, Adams said. So everybody kind of knows everybody.". Early Monday, authorities were in and out of the suspect's home in Wells, Maine. The attack happened near 52nd Street and 8th Avenue just after 10 p.m. Saturday, less than two hours before the ball dropped in Times Square to ring in 2023. John Dias is an Emmy-nominated reporter. He took an Amtrak train to New York City on Dec. 29, the sources said. Were dealing with individuals, all of which, regardless of the motive, are experiencing somewhat consistent behavioral health issues.". He joined CBS2 News in November 2017. This incident follows other lone-wolf terror-type attacks on NYPD officers. Were not dealing with a group of sophisticated, ideologically motivated foreign terrorists. "The male then struck two additional officers in the head with the machete.". He doesnt go to jail, Mr. Elsman said. The attack happened a little after 10 p.m. about eight blocks from Times Square, just outside the high-security zone where revelers are screened for weapons. Sources say he was put on the list because his aunt reported he had been radicalized online and expressed a desire to travel overseas and fight with Islamic extremists. "Were dealing with individuals, all of which, regardless of the motive, are experiencing somewhat consistent behavioral health issues," Cohen said. "The reality is that this threat of online radicalization from organizations like ISIS and al-Qaida really never went away.". For now, we ask the public to refrain from drawing hasty conclusions and to respect the privacy of our clients family.". Sewell asked any witnesses to contact the NYPD. The still photo image taken from a surveillance camera shows the Nissan Pathfinder used in the attack crossing through Times Square. The scene near where the attack happened. By Gerrard Kaonga On 2/24/22 at 5:33 AM EST. An "unprovoked" machete attack on three New York City police officers near Times Square on New Year's Eve is being investigated as a possible terrorist incident. My son Andrew went to high school with the boys. They planned to search for more evidence at his Maine home. Authorities say Bickford whipped. Lyugovski and his brother-in-law, Andrew Dyachkin, of South Carolina, were in New York to watch the Times Square ball drop, they said in a joint video interview. An eight-year police veteran received a laceration to his head, and another a large laceration and concussion in the attack, said Sewell. Federal and local authorities are digging into the background of 19-year-old Trevor Bickford, who allegedly attacked a group of NYPD officers outside a security screening zone in Times Square just after 10 p.m. Saturday, multiple law enforcement sources said. Prior to New Years Eve, the NYPD noted in a pre-event assessment that throughout December "multiple pro-ISIS users disseminated extremist propaganda graphics broadly calling for attacks in advance of the New Year, advocating a wide range of low-tech tactics." Staff and customers could be seen looking outside at what they thought were two people fighting. There was Jessica Williams, a high school senior in Midtown who was on her senior skip day; her spine detached from her pelvis. All three NYPD members were taken to Bellevue Hospital and were expected to survive. Trevor Bickford, the 19-year-old suspect charged in the Times Square attack on NYPD officers. Law enforcement officials said they are looking into whether the man who allegedly attacked the officers had previously posted what they called jihadist writings online and traveled to New York City to target police. Prosecutors countered that even if Mr. Rojas had been experiencing delusions during the incident, he was competent enough to know that he was harming people. "It has become increasingly clear that the protocols used by federal and local authorities to assess the risk posed by individuals who exhibit threat-related behaviors is out of date and inconsistent with the current threat facing the nation," said Cohen, now an ABC News contributor. He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.". ", He added, We thought someone is trying to shoot, you know, as many people as possible. His trial, which took place over several weeks, centered on his mental condition at the time of the incident. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Bickford was taken into custody after being shot in the shoulder by a police officer. The official could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Authorities identified the suspect at the news conference only as a 19-year-old man. Three officers assigned to New Years Eve celebrations in New York City's Times Square area were injured by a machete-wielding teenager who expressed militant support for Islam, law enforcement officials said. ___ Reports say he took an Amtrak from Maine to New York on Thursday, but sources tell CBS2 the NYPD was not aware and did not know he was on an FBI watch list. AP. He is due back in court Feb. 1. Wake up to the day's most important news. May 21, 2021 at 6:46 pm Expand Joseph Borgen, pictured, said anti-Semitic assailants appeared out of nowhere Thursday at the corner of W. 48th St. and Seventh Ave. in Times Square, Manhattan,. The attacks occurred outside the security screening area set up around Times Square for the traditional New Year's Eve ball drop. "It was nuts for about a good hour," Hell's Kitchen resident Stefan Shanni told CBS2. One of the officers involved in the incident had graduated from the police academy on Friday, Sewell said. Officials allege the suspect attacked two officers with a machete, unprovoked, just outside the NYPD's high security zone for the New Year's Eve festivities in Times Square. Police officials say they are reviewing the body-worn camera footage the officers were wearing at the time of the attack. Many defendants in the American legal system suffer from mental illness, treated or untreated. When Mr. Rojas returned to the Bronx, friends said, he seemed paranoid and irritable, expressing scorn for the government and railing against taxes, parking tickets and police stops. Mr. Rojas spent two months inside a Navy brig and in 2014 received what the Navy called an other than honorable discharge. He said there are reams of data culled from mass shootings and terrorist attacks showing a common pattern of behavior in perpetrators that can be used in assessing risk. Updated on: January 2, 2023 / 11:33 PM / CBS New York NEW YORK -- The suspect in the New Year's Eve machete attack just outside the Times Square celebration was charged Monday with two counts. "All three of the officers are in stable conditions," Mayor Eric Adams said. Photos of Ukrainian civilians and servicemen stopped office workers as they returned from lunch in Seoul on Friday. Moments after the. Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. Pour en savoir plus sur notre utilisation de vos informations, veuillez consulter notre Politique relative la vie prive et notre Politique en matire de cookies. The NYPD counterterrorism bureau is investigating the New Year's Eve attack in conjunction with the FBI. IE 11 is not supported. "They believed this person was on their way to engage in violence and they prevented it. Here's a rundown of this wonderful program: Day One: After an early morning departure we arrive at West . "All three of the officers are in stable conditions and there are no critical threats to New Yorkers at this time.". Three police officers were wounded in the attack by a 19-year-old male suspect who was shot in the shoulder and arrested, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a press conference with Mayor Eric Adams. The knife attack and gunfire startled a long line of crowds waiting to join the NYE celebrations. The actions that police officers must take every day are life-threatening situations," Adams said. The horrifying episode unfolded at 9:40 a.m . All three officers Bickford is accused of attacking were released from the hospital the following morning. Prosecutors sayBickford intended to carry out a jihad,and the charges reflect thegravity of his actions. John Cohen, a former U.S. Department of Homeland Security acting undersecretary for intelligence, said the case is the latest in a string of attacks nationwide where law enforcement made contact with a suspect prior to an attack and assessed the potential for them to carry out a violent act. ", Cohen added, "Thats why we continue to see instances where people come to the attention of the bureau or law enforcement, theyre assessed that way, they dont meet that threshold, they dont become the subject of a full-field investigation, yet they go out and commit an act of violence.". A diary found by investigators may have indicated the suspect believed he was on a suicide mission: He left notes about who would inherit belongings and where he wanted to be buried, the sources said. Just around the corner, video from a nearby restaurant shows chaos unfolding after the attack. The incident took place at around 4:30 a.m. in the area of 162 W 43rd St. Police. The attack happened a little after 10 p.m. about eight blocks from Times Square, just outside the high . Counsel also referenced the Wells man's community ties and said he worked at a golf course. His name is in a federal law enforcement database, they said, and he was known to investigators for his social media postings. NEW YORK A man accused of attacking police with a machete near New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve is now facing federal terrorism charges after he became determined to wage jihad. People lying on the floor to avoid the gunshots.". Experience the home that molds then men and women that protect our nation - West Point Military Academy. There was nothing, however, to prevent him from boarding an Amtrak train to New York. https://t.co/Waaux2hUTt pic.twitter.com/EijU7QUgkQ. All rights reserved, Multiple Cats Found With Horrific Injuries in NYC May Have Been Tortured, Rescuers Say, Nasty Winter Storm Eyes NYC Area: Torrential, 40 MPH Winds and Snow Expected Over 12-Hour Siege, This 26-Year-Old Pays $0 to Live in a Luxury Tiny Home' She Built for $35,000 in Her Backyard Take a Look Inside, Kylie Jenner's Ex, Rapper Travis Scott, Wanted in $12,000 Manhattan Nightclub Mayhem, Winter Storm May Bring More NYC Snow Friday and a Complex Mess to Millions: What to Expect. "Unprovoked, a 19-year-old male approached an officer and attempted to strike him over the head with a machete," Sewell said. Maybe they come to the attention of law enforcement initially because of their online behavior, maybe its other behaviors theyre exhibiting that family or others observe.". If the court finds that the defendant has a dangerous mental disorder, it must then issue an order committing the defendant to the custody of the state commissioner of mental health. NEW YORK - A man accused of attacking police with a machete near New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve was arrested on charges of attempting to murder officers, authorities . On a later call, officials said all three officers had been released from Bellevue Hospital overnight. All Rights Reserved. Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report. Neighbors told NBC affiliate WCSH of Portland, Maine, that the suspect is the child of divorced parents and has two siblings. The attack is being investigated as a possible incident of terrorism because of online postings Bickford made before the attack. A rookie NYPD police officer on his first day on the job was attacked with a machete on New Year's Eve just blocks Times Square and police are probing whether the suspect is a recently. He may have traveled to New York City specifically to target police, sources told the networks. A month after an insane attack on Times Square by a driver who ploughed through a crowd killing a woman and injuring 22 people, thousands brought an outpouring of peace through yoga on. The suspect is allegedly a. https://t.co/ha11b02Fvq. The New York Police Department released video on Sunday showing an unidentified Black male seen wearing a black zip up jacket and gray or white sweatpants rush up behind a woman at. By John Dias, Tim McNicholas, Alice Gainer, Updated on: January 2, 2023 / 11:33 PM NEW YORK -- A Pakistani immigrant who tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison . NBC New York's Myles Miller reports. The attack took place on 8th Avenue, which is often packed with thick crowds navigating around the frozen zone or trying to find one of the secure entrances. As the world was concerned over a Chinese spy balloon, Biden quietly released al Qaeda terrorist Majid Khan to Belize after 16 years in CIA custody in Guantanamo Bay. The FBI's Joint Terrorism task Force is also investigating. He realized the situation he was in and offered an excuse, Mr. Peterson told jurors. A grand jury inManhattan returned an indictmentFriday againstTrevor Bickford, of Maine. "We're looking for somebody who we can associate with a foreign terrorist group or looking at somebody who meets the threshold of a federal terrorism investigation. The man, who made pro-jihadist statements from his hospital bed overnight, is believed to have traveled from Wells to lower Manhattan on Thursday mainly via Amtrak, those sources said. They are expected to recover. "Those officers discharged one round. Authorities say Bickford whipped out a machete and attacked the three officers, striking two of them in the head. "Earlier today, Mr. Bickford was arraigned from Bellevue Hospital after languishing in NYPD custody for nearly four days despite a well-established court requirement that an arraignment take place within 24 hours of arrest," Legal Aid said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. It is powerful evidence that he knew what had happened in Times Square., Driver in Fatal Times Square Attack Found Not Responsible Because of Mental Illness, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/nyregion/driver-times-square-attack-terrorism.html. "And then you hear a gunshot, and it just went crazy. Neighbors who knew the suspect and his family told NBC Boston said they were surprised by the allegations. "Threat assessment is a systematic, fact-based method of investigation and examination that blends the collection of analysis of multiple sources of information with published research and practitioner experience, focusing on an individual's patterns of thinking and behavior to determine whether, and to what extent, a person of concern is moving toward an attack," the report states. "Weve just received initial discovery from the District Attorneys office, and well have more to say about this case after a thorough review and investigation. (The Associated Press contributed to this report. "It's just kind of hard to believe. A New Year's Eve machete rampage targeting police officers in Times Square is the latest example of law enforcement failing to prevent an individual already on their radar from carrying out an act of violence, prompting some counterterrorism experts to call for a new model for evaluating would-be attackers. NBC Universal, Inc. Police working New Year's Eve detail in Times Square were wounded by a machete-wielding man who struck multiple officers in the head in what law enforcement are. Investigators found some of his belongings in Forest Park Monday morning. Reb Yoel Kahn (chief oral scribe of the Rebbe) gave many Lectures on Chassidus. Still, police allege he was able to carry out what could be New York's latest terror attack. Security guards failed to intervene while a man kicked and stomped on a 65-year-old woman near Times Square, yelling, "You don't belong here." Protesters gathered outside the West 43rd Street. Barriers are set up to prevent vehicle attacks in the secure area. Mayor Hidetaka . Investigators have been reviewing Bickford's online postings, which included some mentions of Islamic extremist views, a law enforcement official said. A . The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, noted in a release after the verdict that Mr. Rojas would remain in custody. 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