Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Donald Trump Said NYC Terror Attacks Went Underreported. Here Are The Facts

By Michael P. Ventura | February 6, 2017 9:46pm
 Near the scene of a bombing in Chelsea that injured 29 people. Investigators want to know who caused the blast and whether a second device found was a bomb.
Near the scene of a bombing in Chelsea that injured 29 people. Investigators want to know who caused the blast and whether a second device found was a bomb.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg

NEW YORK CITY — President Donald Trump on Monday said journalists had not adequately covered myriad terror attacks across the globe in an intentional effort to downplay the threat of terrorism, according to The New York Times.

While he was not specific when he made the comment which attacks had been overlooked, the White House provided a list later Monday.

Two of the attacks that "did not receive adequate attention" occurred in New York City, and were in fact covered by DNAinfo New York: last year's Chelsea bombing, and a 2014 attack on NYPD officers in Jamaica by a hatchet-wielding man.

Here is some of our coverage of the two incidents:

2014 HATCHET ATTACK

Zale Thompson, 32, attacked a group of rookie NYPD officers — striking one in the head and another in the arm — before being gunned down by police on Jamaica Avenue in October 2014. Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Thompson was depressed, reclusive and inspired by Islamic terror groups. 

"I'm very comfortable that this was a terrorist attack," Bratton said then.

Officer Kenneth Healey, 25, was struck in the head by Thompson's hatchet. He recovered from his injury in a Nassau County rehabilitation center.

Healey's injury brought to light issues regarding the NYPD's pension system. If he had not been able to return to work, he would only have been eligible to receive a disability pension worth $27 a day. This issue, exclusively reported by DNAinfo, inspired police and elected officials to work toward reforming the pension system.

READ MORE:
VIDEO: Hatchet-Wielding Man Attacks Police Before Being Gunned Down
Man Killed By NYPD After Hatchet Attack Was Homegrown Terrorist, Police Say 
NYPD Officer Injured in Jamaica Hatchet Attack Moves to Rehab Center

NYPD Officer Attacked With Hatchet Only Eligible for $27 a Day in Pension

2016 CHELSEA BOMBING

An explosion rocked Chelsea on a Saturday night in September 2016, injuring 29 people on West 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue. A second bomb was found four blocks away at West 27th Street, but it did not go off. Ahmad Khan Rahimi was arrested shortly thereafter following a shoot-out with police in Linden, New Jersey, and is awaiting trial.

DNAinfo New York exclusively reported that the second bomb was disabled by two tourists who found the suitcase that contained the device on 27th Street, removed it, and then left with the bag. Authorities believed that the men may have inadvertently deactivated the bomb by handling it. Because the second bomb was found intact, it contained clues that lead authorities to Rahimi.

In the months since the blast, DNAinfo has covered every step of the investigation and the forthcoming trial of Rahimi. Here is a selection of that coverage:

READ MORE:
Thieves Helped Crack Chelsea Bombing Case, Sources Say

CAUGHT: Chelsea Bombing Suspect Taken Into Custody
Woman Who Found Second Bomb in Chelsea Thought It Was a Science Experiment
Pizza Orders — And Gripes — Keep Coming for Domino's Across From Blast Site