New York police fear that a crazed hatchet attack on four police officers in Jamaica, Queens, today could be linked to terrorism.
Suspect Zale Thompson, 32, pictured in surveillance footage, was shot dead on the scene after slashing one cop in the arm and the other in the head at around without warning about 2pm.
The officer struck in the head was critically injured.
A 29-year-old female bystander a half-a-block away from the attack was critically injured after being shot by an errant police round. She is currently recovering from surgery at Jamaica Hospital and is listed in 'grave' condition.
Police say they were investigating whether Thompson's attack on the cops was linked to Islamic terrorism. ISIS has urged fighters to launch lone wolf attacks in the United States.
Thompson's Facebook page features a photograph of a man dressed in Middle Eastern garb and a cover photo displaying Arabic writing.
Two attacks in Canada this week by radicalized converts to Islam have killed two Canadian soldiers.
In one, a man ran down two soldiers in his car in Quebec, killing one, before being shot dead.
On Wednesday a convicted felon ambushed a soldier outside Canadian Parliament, fatally wounding him, before running the Parliament building and opening fire.
DNA Info reports that on Thursday afternoon a freelance photographer approached the group of rookie cops and asked to take their photograph.
As the officers were posing for the camera, Thompson charged towards them swinging an 18.5 inch hatchet without uttering a single word.
One 24-year-old officer was slashed in the arm
Another 25-year-old officer was slashed in the back of head and taken to Jamaica Hospital where he is being treated in critical condition, reports CBS.
The two remaining police shot at Thompson who dropped his hatchet then died at the scene.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said he's not ruling out terrorism especially in the wake of recent terror attacks in Canada, reports CNN.
'There is nothing we know as of this time that would indicate that were the case. I think certainly the heightened concern is relative to that type of assault based on what just happened in Canada,' said Bratton.
CNN reports that Thompson has a criminal record in California and that he was discharged from the U.S. Navy for misconduct. Details of his criminal record and his misconduct are not known at this time.
.jpg "CCTV U.S Man attacks group of polices with HATCHET before being shot dead in Queens")
His Facebook page says that Thompson graduated from Columbia Teacher's College and that he resides in Queens.
CNN reports that New York police were alerted to be on the lookout for random attacks following Thursday's incident.
DNA Info spoke with witnesses on the scene.
'We heard pop, pop, pop, pop,' said Rafael, 44, who works at Overseas Travel nearby where the incident occurred.
'She was screaming,"'Help me." She couldn't get up,' said Ericka Babb, a medical assistant at Priority Medical Center in Queens.
'We were way too scared,' said Rafael.
Officers say they shot the hatchet-yielding suspect but it’s not clear how many rounds were fired.
'It was a completely unprovoked attack,' said NYPD Chief Kim Royster, a department spokeswoman.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said during a news conference that all of the police involved are recent graduates of this summer's Police Academy class.
'Three rookie cops, absolutely modest about what happened today and what they did,' de Blasio said.
During the conference Bill De Blasio lauded the officers' training and their fast response to the unprovoked attack.
Suspect Zale Thompson, 32, pictured in surveillance footage, was shot dead on the scene after slashing one cop in the arm and the other in the head at around without warning about 2pm.
The officer struck in the head was critically injured.
A 29-year-old female bystander a half-a-block away from the attack was critically injured after being shot by an errant police round. She is currently recovering from surgery at Jamaica Hospital and is listed in 'grave' condition.
Police say they were investigating whether Thompson's attack on the cops was linked to Islamic terrorism. ISIS has urged fighters to launch lone wolf attacks in the United States.
Thompson's Facebook page features a photograph of a man dressed in Middle Eastern garb and a cover photo displaying Arabic writing.
Two attacks in Canada this week by radicalized converts to Islam have killed two Canadian soldiers.
In one, a man ran down two soldiers in his car in Quebec, killing one, before being shot dead.
On Wednesday a convicted felon ambushed a soldier outside Canadian Parliament, fatally wounding him, before running the Parliament building and opening fire.
DNA Info reports that on Thursday afternoon a freelance photographer approached the group of rookie cops and asked to take their photograph.
As the officers were posing for the camera, Thompson charged towards them swinging an 18.5 inch hatchet without uttering a single word.
One 24-year-old officer was slashed in the arm
Another 25-year-old officer was slashed in the back of head and taken to Jamaica Hospital where he is being treated in critical condition, reports CBS.
The two remaining police shot at Thompson who dropped his hatchet then died at the scene.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said he's not ruling out terrorism especially in the wake of recent terror attacks in Canada, reports CNN.
'There is nothing we know as of this time that would indicate that were the case. I think certainly the heightened concern is relative to that type of assault based on what just happened in Canada,' said Bratton.
CNN reports that Thompson has a criminal record in California and that he was discharged from the U.S. Navy for misconduct. Details of his criminal record and his misconduct are not known at this time.
His Facebook page says that Thompson graduated from Columbia Teacher's College and that he resides in Queens.
CNN reports that New York police were alerted to be on the lookout for random attacks following Thursday's incident.
DNA Info spoke with witnesses on the scene.
'We heard pop, pop, pop, pop,' said Rafael, 44, who works at Overseas Travel nearby where the incident occurred.
'She was screaming,"'Help me." She couldn't get up,' said Ericka Babb, a medical assistant at Priority Medical Center in Queens.
'We were way too scared,' said Rafael.
Officers say they shot the hatchet-yielding suspect but it’s not clear how many rounds were fired.
'It was a completely unprovoked attack,' said NYPD Chief Kim Royster, a department spokeswoman.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said during a news conference that all of the police involved are recent graduates of this summer's Police Academy class.
'Three rookie cops, absolutely modest about what happened today and what they did,' de Blasio said.
During the conference Bill De Blasio lauded the officers' training and their fast response to the unprovoked attack.
Source : DailyMail , DNA Info , NYDailyNews
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