NYPD Officer Stabbed in the Head With Machete During New Year’s Eve Madness!

A rookie NYPD officer was reportedly stabbed in the head with a machete on New Year’s Eve just blocks away from Times Square.

The officer, who graduated Friday and was assigned to a Staten Island precinct, was stationed at West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue when the attack occurred.

The suspect allegedly stabbed two officers, leading to shots being fired.

The incident caused a mass panic near the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration, and the two officers were transported to local hospitals.

🚨#UPDATE: Police are reportedly evacuating everyone near the area near 8th Ave. near the NYC Times Square NYE celebration area with reports of a suspect in custody. After causing mass panic the two NYPD officers have been transported to the local hospitals pic.twitter.com/F9qltu1EAs

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 1, 2023

#BREAKING: Incident unfolding in Times Square, reports of officers down. #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/Jar3pqQVrd

— Breaking 4 News (@Breaking_4_News) January 1, 2023

The weapon. pic.twitter.com/YegB6AL5Do

— Karol Markowicz (@karol) January 1, 2023

This is the weapon that was recovered at the scene. https://t.co/Waaux2hUTt pic.twitter.com/EijU7QUgkQ

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) January 1, 2023

According to NBC News correspondent Tom Winter, the man who allegedly attacked the two NYPD officers may have posted ‘jihadist writings’ online and traveled to NYC from Maine to target police on New Year’s Eve.

MORE: The man, believed to be from Maine, is expected to survive after being shot by police.

The FBI is expected to join a NYPD press conference later this morning.

Reported w/ @jonathan4ny and @MylesMill (2/2)

— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) January 1, 2023

NBC News reported:

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The incident happened just after 10 p.m. ET at West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, just outside of the high-security zone where revelers are screened at checkpoints, officials said at a news conference early Sunday.

The suspect approached an officer and attempted to strike him over the head with the machete, Commissioner Keechant Sewell said. He then struck two officers in the head with the blade before being shot in the shoulder and apprehended by police, Sewell said.

The officers were hospitalized, one with a fractured skull and another with a bad cut, but were in stable condition, Sewell added. The suspect was also hospitalized, he said.

Mayor Eric Adams told the news conference that he had spoken to one of the wounded officers. “He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today,” Adams said.

Multiple law enforcement officials told NBC News they were looking into whether the suspect had previously posted what they called jihadist writings online and traveled to New York to target police on New Year’s Eve.

The investigation was in its early stages but the suspect was known to law enforcement agencies for his social media postings, officials said, adding that he did not have a past criminal record.