3 Officers Hurt in Machete Attack Near New Year's Eve Celebrations in Times Square

New York Mayor Eric Adams revealed at a press conference for the incident that the three police officers were in stable condition

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock (13691175a) This photo provided by NYPD, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell address the media during a news conference on . A man wielding a machete attacked three police officers at the New Year's Eve celebration in New York City, authorities said, striking two of them in the head before an officer shot the man in the shoulder. The two officers were hospitalized, one with a fractured skull and the other with a bad cut, but expected to recover Machete Attack-Police, New York, United States - 31 Dec 2022
Credit : Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock

Multiple New York City police officers were injured by a suspect wielding a machete just before the ball dropped on New Year's Eve, according to multiple reports.

Police said in a press conference that a suspect approached officers, allegedly attempting to strike them with a machete, according to CNN. One of the officers — a rookie who had just graduated on Friday — was hit on the head with the weapon and suffered a fractured skull and a laceration to his head. Another officer, who had been with the force for eight years, also had a laceration injury.

The two, along with a third officer who sustained injuries while responding to the incident, were taken to the hospital and are in stable condition, according to authorities.

The incident happened at around 10 p.m. outside a Times Square New Year's Eve security screening zone on West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in the press conference, per CNN.

Authorities said the suspect had been shot in the shoulder during the incident and was transported to the hospital. They added that they believed he was working alone, and there was no longer an active threat.

Although the suspect's name was not disclosed by police, the New York Post identified him as 19-year-old Trevor Bickford from Wells, Maine. Police revealed a photo of his weapon at the press conference, which appeared to look like a large curved blade, longer than 12 inches.

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Authorities are investigating the suspect's motive and whether he came to the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop to specifically attack officers, sources told ABC News.

Sources also told the outlet that though the suspect had no prior arrests, he had been on the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force's radar after a member of his family reported him to authorities.

"I want to be clear that the FBI, through the Joint Terrorism Task Force, is working very closely with [NYPD] to determine the nature of this attack, and we will run every lead to ground," the FBI's Michael Driscoll said at the news conference, per Fox News.

New York Mayor Eric Adams praised the officers for their response at the press conference, saying, "We are really pleased by the response and how our officers handled this situation."

"And as we do a preliminary review of the body cam video, we see how well these officers executed the plan that was put in place by the New York City Police Department in ensuring we protect those who came here to bring in a new year," he added, per Fox News.

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