A 19-year-old man accused of attacking police with a machete near New York City's Times Square on New Year’s Eve was arrested on murder charges. The attack took place steps from where crowds had gathered to watch the annual ball-drop ceremony, reports the Wall Street Journal. Suspect Trevor Bickford of Wells, Me., walked up to a police officer at the corner of Eighth Avenue and West 52nd Street at about 10 p.m. and tried to strike his head with a machete before hitting two other officers in the head, said Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell. One of the officers shot the attacker in the shoulder.
A law-enforcement official said authorities are investigating whether Bickford was inspired by radical Islamic extremism. The initial investigation indicates he acted alone. Investigators are examining his online activity as they try to discern a motive. Two officials said members of Bickford’s family reported him to law enforcement. FBI assistant director Michael Driscoll said, "There is no ongoing threat. We believe this was a sole individual." Bickford wrote a farewell note to his family. The three policemen injured in the attack were all treated and released from the hospital. One of the victims had graduated from the city’s police academy on Friday. He suffered a skull fracture and a large laceration.
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