Maine man sentenced to 27 years in prison for machete attack on New York officers

PORTLAND, Maine (WGME) — A Maine man who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges after trying to kill three New York police officers with a machete was sentenced Thursday to 27 years in prison.

In a statement, 20-year-old Trevor Bickford of Wells apologized and admitted that he traveled near Times Square on New Year’s Eve 2022 and attacked the officers.

Prosecutors said Bickford targeted police officers with a machete and tried to grab one of their weapons before he was shot in the shoulder.

One officer suffered a fractured skull in the attack. Everyone survived.

Bickford’s lawyers said he suffered from mental illness and was radicalized by Islamic jihadist material online.

Prosecutors said during a hearing that Bickford went to New York “to kill people and carry out jihad.”

In court documents, prosecutors also outlined portions of an interview with Bickford after the attack.

“I wanted to kill an officer in uniform. I saw the officer and waited until he was alone. I said, “Allauh Akbar.” I walked up to him and hit him on the head with a kukri. “I charged another officer but dropped the knife, and I tried to get to the officer’s gun but couldn’t,” he allegedly told investigators.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Bickford’s guilty plea should “serve as a warning.”

“Terrorists who target and attack law enforcement and endanger the American people will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Garland said.

The Justice Department said the charge Bickford was convicted of carried a possible sentence of 120 years in prison.

Prosecutors sought 50 years in prison for Bickford.

In addition to the prison sentence, Bickford was sentenced to life of supervised release.