3 NYPD officers injured in machete attack near Times Square

NEW YORK — Three officers from the New York Police Department were injured Saturday when they were attacked by a man with a machete, blocks away from crowds celebrating New Year’s Eve at Times Square, authorities said.

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The attack happened around 10:11 p.m. EST in Manhattan on 8th Avenue between 51st and 52nd streets, WPIX-TV reported.

According to Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, the assailant approached an officer and tried to hit him in the head with the large knife, the television station reported. The suspect then hit two other officers with the weapon.

According to WNBC-TV, the alleged attacker was identified as Trevor Bickford, 19, of Wells, Maine. Police have not released the name of the suspect.

Two officers were hospitalized, including a rookie officer who graduated on Friday, according to the television station. He suffered a fractured skull, Sewell said during a news conference.

The other officer, an eight-year veteran of the force, suffered a bad cut, WABC-TV reported.

The third officer was also hospitalized, but Sewell did not elaborate on the extent of his injuries. All three were in stable condition, according to the television station.

At least one officer fired at the suspect, striking him in the shoulder, WNBC reported. He was also hospitalized and his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, police said.

“I want to be very clear, there is no ongoing threat,” Mike Driscoll, the FBI assistant director in charge of the New York field office, said during the news conference. “We believe this was a sole individual at this time. There is nothing to indicate otherwise.”

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