NYPD machete attack suspect expected to face federal charges, sources say
NEW YORK -- There are new details about the New Year's Eve attack on NYPD officers near Times Square.
The 19-year-old suspect, Trevor Bickford, is in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital , and sources say he'll likely be arraigned Wednesday from his hospital bed.
As police comb through a backpack discovered Monday in Forest Park, Queens, sources say a handwritten note that said in part he wants to be buried in Muslim tradition will be key in the investigation into Bickford.
He is accused of using a machete to attack three NYPD officers at 52nd and 8th Avenue just outside the screening area for New Year's Eve in Times Square before he was shot in the shoulder by an officer.
Sources also say cameras picked up Bickford uttering "Allah Akbar" during the attack.
Tuesday in an exclusive interview, CBS2's Maurice DuBois talked to NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell about what happened.
"In this case as we understand it, the FBI was aware of the suspect, but the NYPD didn't have that information. Am I correct there?" DuBois asked.
"So the Guardian lead for that individual was actually in Maine, and there would have been no reason for the FBI to notify us there was no nexus at the time to New York City at that, at that point," Sewell said.
"No need to know?" DuBois asked.
"We would have liked to have known, but there wasn't, they did everything proper in Maine. They interviewed the subject, and they were able to put a lookout on him for his travel. These lone wolf attacks are something that we definitely have our challenges with, obviously, because if you don't know who the person is, or where they're going, it's a little bit difficult for us to be able to intercept that attack. I think the officers did a phenomenal job in this case," Sewell said.
Safety and security of the crowds and this city are always priority one on New Year's Eve, but in this case, federal authorities did not notify the Joint Terrorism Task Force regarding this potential threat.
"Should the JTTF know about every person on local watch lists around the country?" DuBois asked.
"If there is no nexus in New York City, there really wouldn't be a reason for us to know about that. We would like to know, but there are far too many of them for us to be able to track every single one that will come across the FBI's desk," Sewell said.
"The chilling aspect of this is that this time it was a machete. What if it were a long gun? What if it was an automatic rifle? I mean, my goodness, right?" DuBois asked.
"We are always cognizant of the threat. And I think when we look at what happened in this particular case, our officers were at that location to protect that event and they did exactly that. They were able to neutralize that threat, and thankfully, they're going to be OK. But I will tell you, we work hand in glove with the JTTF, and we have members that are embedded into that task force. So they are our partners, and we appreciate everything they bring to us when there is information and when there is a threat," Sewell said.
All three officers have been released from the hospital and are expected to be OK.
There was no activity at Bickford's family home in Maine on Tuesday.
Sources say the FBI had Bickford on a restricted "no fly" list, but that didn't apply to train travel. That's potentially why the NYPD was not notified when Bickford took an Amtrak train from Maine to New York City last week.
"You can be placed on a terrorist watch list based on the propensity of your actions that have occurred in the past, such as communication with the Taliban," said criminal justice expert and former NYPD lieutenant Darrin Porcher. "It puts us in a position of surveillance of that individual."
Sources say Bickford's phone data shows he spent time in Forest Park, Queens, and the Bowery Mission shelter in Manhattan. A rep for the Bowery Mission told us he did not stay there, but they are looking into whether he made a donation.
We're told federal terrorism-related charges are expected against Bickford.
He faces charges of attempted murder of a police officer and attempted assault.
