3 cops injured in machete assault close to Times Square on New Year’s Eve: Officials

The assault and sound of a gunshot briefly despatched some individuals within the crowd working, however the incident didn’t impression the festivities in Times Square, which continued uninterrupted.

New York,UPDATED: Jan 2, 2023 03:25 IST

A person wielding a machete attacked three cops on the New Year’s Eve celebration in New York City, authorities mentioned (Photo: AP)

By Associated Press: A person wielding a machete attacked three cops on the New Year’s Eve celebration in New York City, authorities mentioned, placing two of them within the head earlier than an officer shot the person within the shoulder.

The assault occurred just a little after 10 p.m. about eight blocks from Times Square, simply exterior of the high-security zone the place revelers are screened for weapons.

The two officers had been hospitalized, one with a fractured cranium and the opposite with a nasty lower, and had been anticipated to get better.

Police didn’t establish the 19-year-old suspect, who additionally was anticipated to get better.

The assault and sound of a gunshot briefly despatched some individuals within the crowd working, however the incident didn’t impression the festivities in Times Square, which continued uninterrupted.

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Mayor Eric Adams mentioned at a information convention that he had spoken to one of many wounded officers as he was being stitched up on the hospital.

“He was in good spirits,” Adams mentioned. “He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.” An investigation was underway to pinpoint a motive for the assault, however authorities mentioned they didn’t consider there was any ongoing menace to the general public.

Michael Driscoll, the assistant director answerable for the FBI’s New York area workplace, mentioned the company believes the attacker acted alone.

The NYPD mounts a large safety operation yearly to maintain the New Year’s Eve crowd protected. Thousands of officers are despatched to the realm, together with many new recruits.

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One of the injured officers simply graduated from the police academy on Friday, the mayor mentioned.

The blocks the place the largest crowds collect to see performances and the midnight ball drop might be accessed solely by means of checkpoints the place officers use metal-detecting wands to display for weapons. Large baggage and coolers are banned. Barriers are set as much as stop automobile assaults.

The safety perimeter can solely prolong up to now, although. The assault came about on eighth Avenue, which is usually full of thick crowds navigating across the frozen zone or looking for one of many safe entrances.

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Published On:

Jan 2, 2023