NY axe attack: Islamist link probed

The attacker approaches the officers in Queens, in a photo released by New York police

Police in New York are investigating whether a man who attacked two officers with an axe before being shot dead was linked to Islamist extremism.

One officer was being treated for a serious head wound after the attack on Thursday in the Queens borough.
Commissioner William Bratton said police were trying to establish a motive but did not rule out terrorism.
US media indentified the attacker as Zale Thompson, 32, but this has not been confirmed by police.
The SITE monitoring group said he had posted statements on YouTube and Facebook that "display a hyper-racial focus in both religious and historical contexts, and ultimately hint at his extremist leanings".
SITE, which monitors radical Islamist groups, said a post by him in September had described jihad as "a justifiable response to the oppression of the Zionists and the Crusaders".
After the attack, which took place on Thursday afternoon, Mr Bratton was asked whether it could be terror related.
"This early on, we really cannot say yes or no to that question," he said.
Witnesses said the man deliberately targeted the foot-patrol officers, charging them and then swinging the axe two-handed,
One officer was hit on the head and the other on the arm.
The officers fired several rounds, killing the attacker and wounding a female bystander, police said.
The 25-year-old officer with the head wound was listed as critical but stable. The woman was recovering after being treated for a gunshot wound to the back.