CNN
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Three NYPD officers are in stable condition after being attacked by a man with a machete in a random attack near Times Square, according to the New York Police Commissioner.
The attack occurred just after 10 p.m. Saturday on West 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue, outside Times Square’s New Year’s Eve security screening zone, Commissioner Kiecchant Sewell said.
The suspect, identified only as a 19-year-old male, approached the officer and attempted to hit him in the head with a machete. I hit my shoulder. The suspect is being treated for injuries, Sewell said.
The FBI, the New York Police Department and the Joint Counter-Terrorism Office are investigating, the people said at a joint news conference early in the new year.
“I want to be clear… there are no ongoing threats,” said Mike Driscoll, the FBI’s assistant director in charge of the New York field office.
“At this time, we believe this is the only individual,” he said, adding, “We have nothing to indicate otherwise.”
One recent police academy graduate suffered a fractured skull and a large laceration to his head, Sewell said. Another of his officers, an eight-year veteran of his, suffered lacerations, according to the commissioner. She did not elaborate on the third officer’s injuries.
Driscoll said the FBI, through its task force, is working closely with the NYPD to determine the nature of the attack and will “resolve all leads.”
Authorities did not elaborate on possible motives and said the investigation was in preliminary stages.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams praised the police response, saying the officers who responded quickly secured the scene and acted “with the level of professionalism you expect from all officers.”
After subduing the suspects with the help of fellow officers, responding officers returned to their posts, referring to New Year’s Eve celebrations “because we still had a city to defend.”