The Department of Justice reported that Trevor Bickford was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison on Thursday for his “brazen” 2022 New Year’s Eve knife assault in Times Square that left three New York City Police Department officers gravely injured.
Prosecutors said that in December 2022, 19-year-old Bickford traveled from Maine with the intention of using a “machete-style knife” to carry out a jihadist attack against uniformed officers.
Three counts of attempted government official murder and three counts of assault on government officials were among the six federal crimes he pled guilty to in January. The accusations were related to the incident.
Bickford, who is currently 20 years old, was also given a lifetime supervised release sentence in addition to his jail term.
“Today’s sentence holds Trevor Bickford accountable for his premeditated 2022 terrorist attack in Times Square during which he attempted to kill three NYPD officers in a violent rampage,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated. “The Justice Department is deeply grateful to the NYPD for its quick actions and bravery in disrupting this New Year’s Eve attack, and for the work it does every day to keep New Yorkers safe. The Justice Department will always stand by its state and local law enforcement partners as we work together to counter the threat of terrorism, and that includes being relentless in prosecuting those who seek to harm officers.”
Bickford could have spent a maximum of 120 years in jail, 20 years for each offense.
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In a court filing prior to Thursday’s sentencing, the government requested a minimum sentence of 50 years in prison, stating that it “is necessary and appropriate to reflect the extraordinarily serious nature of the defendant’s terrorism offense, to provide just punishment for the defendant’s conduct, to deter and prevent the defendant from resuming activities in support of radical terrorist ideology, and to deter others who, like the defendant, would seek to carry out brutal terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.”
According to the prosecution, Bickford’s “brutal actions” left a lasting impression on the three policemen, who now feel that a life term is warranted.
