NYC hatchet attack on police raises question about what qualifies as terrorism

Published January 08, 2015

A hatchet-wielding man's attack on a group of New York City police officers last week has raised questions about what qualifies as terrorism in an era more than 13 years removed from the Sept. 11 attacks.

Police say there is evidence suggesting Zale Thompson was influenced by extremist rhetoric on the Internet. Police Commissioner William Bratton called it an act of terrorism.

But Thompson also had contact with a black activist about fighting racism at home. And the FBI, which normally takes the lead on terror investigations, has offered no similar assessment that he should be viewed as a terrorist.

One officer suffered a serious head wound before other officers shot and killed the assailant on a street in Queens.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/nyc-hatchet-attack-on-police-raises-question-about-what-qualifies-as-terrorism