Trevor Bickford, a resident of the northern state of Maine, travelled to the iconic plaza in midtown Manhattan to commit an attack on December 31, 2022 that federal prosecutor Damian Williams said was “inspired by radical Islamic extremism.”

Bickford had pleaded guilty in January to charges of attempted murder and assault in connection with the attack, which left three officers hospitalised.

“Today’s sentence holds Trevor Bickford accountable for his premeditated 2022 terrorist attack in Times Square during which he attempted to kill three NYPD officers in a violent rampage,” attorney-general Merrick Garland said in a statement.

Bickford had shown signs of radicalisation before the attack, and expressed interest in travelling abroad to wage jihad, but ultimately decided to commit an attack on American soil, according to court documents.