Maine
Neighbors of accused cop slasher Trevor Bickford stunned by Islamist radical allegations
WELLS, Maine — Neighbors of accused Islamist radical Trevor Bickford have been shocked when FBI brokers raided his household house of their sleepy New England city — and shocked by allegations that the “quiet” native boy attacked NYPD cops with a machete on New Yr’s Eve.
“There was no indication right here that that type of factor was occurring,” next-door neighbor Ken Creed advised The Submit on Monday.
“With out sounding racist, we don’t have quite a lot of that,” Creed mentioned. “And I’m not conscious of any influences like that in Wells.”
“Bizarre world,” he added.
FBI brokers confirmed up on the quiet, two-story house on Alpine Drive shortly after Bickford, 19, was shot within the shoulder after allegedly slashing three cops with a machete in Occasions Sq. on Saturday night time.
The teenager was already on a federal terror watchlist, sources beforehand advised The Submit.
It was a surreal flip of occasions for the quiet former honor pupil who was as soon as a member of the Wells Excessive Faculty championship soccer workforce and was the recipient of a college artwork award for his jewellery creations.
Locals mentioned he labored as a groundskeeper on the close by Outdated Marsh Nation Membership, about 5 minutes from his household’s house.
“A typical information day however nearer to house,” mentioned a neighborhood named Rick, who declined to offer his final identify however mentioned he has lived in Wells for 25 years and is aware of Bickford’s household.
“They’ve at all times been actually quiet,” he mentioned of the household. “We don’t actually work together with them in any respect and so they’ve at all times been very, very quiet.”
One native excessive schooler described Bickford as “regular” and “quiet.”
Sources mentioned Bickford “discovered faith” after his father’s overdose loss of life in 2018, and have become a radicalized Muslim as just lately as a month in the past.
However as he grew to become extra excessive in his views — together with indicating a need to go combat in Afghanistan alongside Islamic militants — his personal mom and aunt tipped off the feds concerning the more and more troubled teen, touchdown him on the FBI’s terrorism “Guardian Watchlist,” in keeping with the sources.
On Sunday, federal brokers arrived within the afternoon to look the Alpine Drive house, however have been passed by Monday morning.
“The FBI was conducting approved exercise in reference to an ongoing federal investigation. To guard the integrity of the investigation, we’re going to say no additional remark,” FBI spokeswoman Kristin Setera advised The Submit.
The waterfront resort city of simply over 11,000 residents is an unlikely place for FBI scrutiny.
Wells boasts a quaint Foremost Avenue with boutiques and eating places that cater to vacationers. The city’s points of interest embrace the picturesque Moody Seashore in addition to a preferred conservation middle, the Wells Reserve at Laudholm.
Bickford, who grew up on the town together with his mother, stepdad and two brothers — one among them a US Marine — remained at Bellevue Hospital on Monday, when he was charged by the NYPD with tried homicide and assault over the ambush.
Sources advised The Submit Sunday that Bickford traveled to New York on an Amtrak prepare, arriving on Dec. 29, and appeared to have been a lone wolf. He had packed tenting gear, a diary and a final will and testomony — in addition to the weapon, a sort of machete referred to as a Gurkha, in keeping with sources.
He allegedly advised the feds after his arrest that he hatched the violent plan as just lately as Friday, and made statements that he needed to assault a uniformed officer or somebody armed as a result of they’re the “enemy of the state,” in keeping with the sources.
In a handwritten manifesto, Bickford allegedly urged his household to “please repent to Allah and settle for Islam,” in keeping with sources.