NEW YORK (PIX11) — Three NYPD officers were attacked by a machete-wielding assailant who was swiftly shot by police near Times Square on New Year’s Eve, officials said.
A 19-year-old assailant attacked three police officers at West 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue around 10:11 p.m., according to Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
Unprovoked, the assailant approached an NYPD officer and tried to hit the officer in the head with the machete, Sewell said. The assailant then struck two more NYPD officers in the head with the machete.
“One officer — an eight-year veteran — suffered a laceration to the head. The second officer — who graduated the police academy on Friday — was also struck in the head, resulting in a skull fracture and large laceration,” Sewell said.
One of the officers then fired their gun at the assailant, striking the 19-year-old in the shoulder, officials said.
All three officers were hospitalized in stable condition, Sewell said. The assailant was also taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is working with the NYPD to determine the nature of the attack.
“We believe this was a sole individual at this time,” said Mike Driscoll, assistant director in charge of the New York Field Office. “We’re not aware of any ongoing threat.”
The officers who were attacked were assigned to New Year’s Eve security. However, the attack occurred outside the area that was being screened for the gathering in Times Square, according to Mayor Eric Adams.
The Detectives’ Endowment Association, the labor union representing NYPD detectives, released a statement Saturday evening.
“Detectives and fellow cops face grave danger every day, and #NewYearsEve is no different. They’re courageously fighting violence across the city — including the NYPD officers who were assaulted tonight and fortunately recovering,” the Detectives’ Endowment Association statement read.
Another stabbing occurred near Times Square earlier Saturday morning. A man was stabbed multiple times on the corner of Seventh Avenue and West 40th Street around 11 a.m., according to the NYPD.
The suspect in that stabbing hadn’t been arrested. Investigators didn’t say what led up to the attack. The victim was expected to survive his injuries.