Trevor Bickford was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison on Thursday for a 2022 New Year's Eve knife attack in Times Square that left three New York City Police Department officers seriously injured, according to the Department of Justice.
Bickford, who was 19 at the time, traveled from Maine in December 2022 with the intent to carry out a jihadist attack on uniformed officers using a "machete-style knife," prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty in January to six federal charges related to the attack, including three counts of attempted murder of government officials and three counts of assault on government officials.
In addition to the prison term, Bickford, now 20, was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement, "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."
The government had sought a sentence of at least 50 years, arguing that it was necessary to reflect the seriousness of Bickford's terrorism offense, provide just punishment, prevent him from supporting radical terrorist ideology, and deter others from carrying out similar attacks on U.S. soil.
Prosecutors said Bickford's "brutal actions" had long-lasting impacts on the three officers, who believe a life sentence would be appropriate.
In contrast, the defense requested a 10-year prison sentence followed by 15 years of supervised release, citing Bickford's youth at the time of the attack and untreated mental illness as mitigating factors. Bickford's attorneys described him as deeply apologetic and committed to improving his future.
The attack occurred as the officers manned a checkpoint on the Times Square periphery on Dec. 31, 2022, when they were stabbed with an 18-inch kukri knife. Bickford was shot by one of the injured officers and arrested at the scene. Prosecutors found a book in his backpack with a highlighted passage advocating violence in the name of Allah.
Bickford reportedly told investigators that the attack was unsuccessful because none of the officers died and he did not achieve martyrdom. Prosecutors said he planned the attack after "months of radicalization" and initially intended to support the Taliban overseas before focusing on an attack in the U.S.
Bickford also faces more than a dozen state charges in connection with the New Year's Eve attack, including attempted murder in the first degree in furtherance of an act of terrorism. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 22 in the state case.