<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Police have charged a 19-year-old with two counts of attempted murder over an attack on three police officers near Times Square on New Year's Eve.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Trevor Bickford - who was also charged with two counts of attempted assault - travelled to NYC by train from Maine before the attack, police said.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">US media reported his family recently told the FBI they feared he was being radicalised by Islamist extremists.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said the attack was "unprovoked".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The three officers - one of whom suffered a fractured skull after being struck by the machete - were all released from hospital on Sunday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr Bickford is believed by investigators to have travelled to the city on 29 December after withdrawing thousands of dollars in cash from his bank account and purchasing the knife later used in the attack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He allegedly launched his attack shortly before 22:00 local time on Saturday near an area that had been set up for New Year's Eve celebrations, Ms Sewell said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the attack he attempted to strike police over the head with his weapon, before one of the officers fired their weapon and hit him in the shoulder, officials said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr Bickford remains in hospital under police custody because of the injuries sustained in the attack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to US media reports, his mother and aunt had reported him to the FBI over their fear that he had been radicalised by extreme Islamists.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">CNN, citing law enforcement sources, reported that was interviewed by FBI agents in Maine in mid-December after he said he wanted to travel overseas and help fellow Muslims.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The network also reported that a backpack found at the scene contained a diary in which he expressed his desire to join the Afghan Taliban and believed he would die in the attack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ahead of New Year's Day, the NYPD had released intelligence reports suggesting that some terrorist groups were preparing for a potential attack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Throughout December, multiple pro-ISIS users disseminated extremist propaganda graphics broadly calling for attacks in advance of the New Year, advocating a wide range of low-tech tactics," the assessment report said. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>