Happy New Years and it is a Happy New Year's.
We have three officers who are going home.
Three officers were attacked today.
They are were doing their jobs,
the jobs that members of the New
York City Police Department and
other first responders and law
enforcement officers do every day.
And as we do a preliminary
review of the body Cam video,
we see how well these officers executed
of the plan that was put in place by
the New York City Police Department
and ensuring we protect those who
came here to bring in the New Years.
Of this attack took place outside of
the screen area and it is why the
Commissioner and her team ensures
that we properly are screen everyone
entering of the area where the
viewing is actually taking place.
Of when New York New Yorkers visited here,
they visited and saw thousands of
officers who were in the area making
sure that we could have a safe bringing
in in the New Years and the three officers.
Involved in this incident,
they were doing just that.
All three of the officers are in stable
conditions and there are no credible
threats to New Yorkers at this time.
This again, this attack took place
outside of the area that the Police
Department has identified as the area
that we wanted to do primarily focus on,
and these officers responded in an
admirable professional manner and all
the officers involved then I must say
that even after the incident took place.
Of the responding officers,
make sure the scene was under control
and reached and returned to the primary
focus of ensuring that everyone that
was here in Times Square received
the best professional service that
we offer as a police entity and
the other first responders that
participated in this evening.
The
information I'm about to provide
is preliminary as this incident
is only a few hours old.
Earlier this evening at
approximately 10:11 PM,
officers assigned to the New Year's Eve
detail were at the corner of W 52nd St.
and 8th Ave.
outside the security screening zone when,
unprovoked, a 19 year old male approached
an officer and attempted to strike
him over the head with a machete.
The male then struck two additional
officers in the head with the machete.
One officer, an 8 year veteran,
suffered a laceration 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.
One of the officers fired
their service weapon,
striking the subject in the shoulder.
The three officers were
removed to Bellevue Hospital,
where I'm relieved to report that
they are in stable condition.
I would like to thank assistant
directors of Nursing,
Deon Bernardel and Bruce Martin and all
the staff here at Bellevue Hospital
for their excellent care of our officers.
The subject was also removed
to Bellevue Hospital,
where he is being treated for his injuries.
We are working with our federal partners
for this investigation and it is ongoing.
I would like to stress,
as the mayor said,
there is no active threat at this time.
This is another reminder of what
our officers face.
There were a lot of people out tonight.
We are asking anyone who has any
information to please call Crime
Stoppers at one 805 seven 7 tips.
I want to start tonight by commending the
brave actions by the members of the NYPD
who responded to this attack tonight.
Truly impressive to see what they do every
day, and even more impressive to see
how they respond in times of emergency.
I want to thank the Commissioner and the
NYPD for their coordination on this,
and I want to be clear that the FBI,
through the Joint Terrorism Task Force,
is working very closely with them to
determine the nature of this attack,
and we will run every lead to ground.
I also want to be very clear,
as you've heard.
Said tonight previously,
this is very much an ongoing investigation
to our ability to talk about specifics is
limited and I do want to be very clear.
As you heard the mayor and the
Commissioner stated earlier
that there is no ongoing threat.
We believe this was a sole
individual at this time.
There's nothing to indicate otherwise.