Washington: The incident in which a teenager is accused of attacking three police officers near Times Square on New Year's Eve was linked to terrorism, according to the New York Times. The teen has been charged with attempted murder and attempted assault, according to the New York Police Department.

The suspect has been identified as 19-year-old Trevor Bickford of Wells, Maine. The New York City Police Department charged him with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of attempted assault in an email on Monday.

Police did not immediately provide additional details regarding further proceedings. Officials remained silent about the motive of the attack, but the Times claimed the suspect was motivated by terrorism. Bickford could later be charged with extremism, according to a senior law enforcement official who did not name the newspaper.

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According to The Times, Bickford converted to Islam sometime in the last 18 months. According to police, Bickford left his home in Maine on Saturday for New York.

On Saturday evening, thousands flocked to Times Square amid rain to watch a glowing ball descend from a tower atop a tall building to mark the end of the year. New York usually rings in the New Year like this.

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell told reporters soon after the incident that the unprovoked attack took place late in the evening outside a secure area set up for New Year's Eve celebrations.

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According to officials, one of the three policemen who was attacked, who had recently graduated from the police academy, suffered a fractured skull. The three officers were discharged on Monday after being taken to the hospital.

An officer's bullet hit the suspect in the shoulder. After this, according to the police, the accused was taken into custody.
Bickford received medical attention at Bellevue Hospital, where he remained on Monday. According to the Times, before the attack Bickford wrote a farewell letter to his family in a diary.

The newspaper reported that he expressed his fear to his mother in a diary, saying, "I am very afraid that you will not repent to Allah and therefore I hope in my heart that a piece of you believes so that you can be taken out." hell."

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According to newspaper quotes from an unnamed law enforcement official, Bickford also mentioned in her diary dressing her brother, a US military member, as an enemy, whom she claimed did this in her diary. Was.