3 Officers Hurt in Machete Attack Near New Year's Eve Celebrations in Times Square

Photo: Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock

Police said in a press conference that a suspect approached officers, allegedly attempting to strike them with a machete, according toCNN. One of the officers — a rookie who had just graduated on Friday — was hit on the head with the weapon and suffered a fractured skull and a laceration to his head. Another officer, who had been with the force for eight years, also had a laceration injury.

The two, along with a third officer who sustained injuries while responding to the incident, were taken to the hospital and are in stable condition, according to authorities.

The incident happened at around 10 p.m. outside a Times Square New Year’s Eve security screening zone on West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in the press conference, per CNN.

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Sources also told the outlet that though the suspect had no prior arrests, he had been on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force’s radar after a member of his family reported him to authorities.

“I want to be clear that the FBI, through the Joint Terrorism Task Force, is working very closely with [NYPD] to determine the nature of this attack, and we will run every lead to ground,” the FBI’s Michael Driscoll said at the news conference, perFox News.

source: people.com