Man Who Attacked Police Officers With Machete Sentenced to 27 Years

A man who pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault for a machete attack on three police officers near Times Square during the 2022 New Year’s Eve celebration was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison on Thursday.

The man, Trevor Bickford, 20, had driven to New York City from Maine two days before to carry out the attack “in the name of jihad” after watching videos online that radicalized him, the authorities said. Mr. Bickford pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder of law enforcement officers and three counts of assault of law enforcement officers for attacking the three New York City police officers with a machete.

One officer suffered a fractured skull, and another shot Mr. Bickford in the shoulder.

Mr. Bickford, a Maine resident at the time of the attack, told the court that he was sorry when he pleaded guilty in January and again before his sentence was announced.

He told the judge, P. Kevin Castel, on Thursday that he understood that it was “a tall order” asking for the forgiveness of the police officers he attacked, as well as that of their families.

Mr. Bickford, dressed in a tan collared button-down shirt and tan pants, was led into the courtroom with his hands cuffed behind his back. As he walked to the defense table, he glanced at the full courtroom, where his family sat in the second row.

Across the aisle, the three officers who were attacked — Michael Hanna, Paul Cozzolino and Louis Iorio were seated in the front row. Their supporters, more than two dozen people wearing Police Benevolent Association pins, were seated throughout the courtroom.