The 19-year-old who carried out a knife attack in Times Square on New Year’s Eve has been charged with attempting to kill police officers and employees of the U.S. government and now faces a possible 80 years in prison. Prosecutors say he did it in effort to wage jihad against the government. 

“As we allege today, Bickford deliberately planned and executed his violent attack against New York City Police Officers who were simply doing their job protecting the public,” Assistant Director of the FBI New York Field Office Michael J. Driscoll said in a statement. “Only the quick action of these brave officers prevented further harm.”

According to the Justice Department, Trevor Bickford admitted that he traveled to New York and walked around “trying to figure out the right time to kill.” He then spotted an officer who was standing by himself and attacked. Bickford injured three officers using a long knife similar to a machete called a kukri. He was ultimately shot in the shoulder. 

“An attack against New York City police officers is an attack against all of us – and today’s charges make it clear that such violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said in a statement. “Our NYPD family is thankful our heroic officers survived this premeditated ambush, and the entire city commends them for preventing further bloodshed during one of our nation’s largest public events.”

The Justice Department said Bickford became self-radicalized online. They add that in November he took steps towards traveling to Afghanistan to support the Taliban. The Justice Department also alleges Bickford told a family member that he had aspirations to become a suicide bomber for his religion. In the end, he decided to carry out this attack in the United States. According to the department, Bickford intended to die in the attack as a martyr, and now considers this a failed attack because neither he nor the officers died.

“We allege that the defendant plotted a jihad-inspired attack targeting U.S. government officials, and on December 31st, 2022, attacked three NYPD officers who were part of the joint federal-state law enforcement operation protecting the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said.

According to a description of a mirandized interview, Bickford told authorities he was targeting all men of military age. He also said that no one can work for the U.S. government and be a true Muslim because the U.S. supports Israel.