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U.S. NEWS Thursday 22 June 2017

Canadian charged in U.S. airport attack investigated as terror

By JEFF KAROUB and MIKE announced.
HOUSEHOLDER The attack just before 10
Associated Press a.m. at Bishop International
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A Ca- Airport prompted an evac-
nadian man shouted in uation and extra security
Arabic before stabbing a elsewhere in the Michigan
police officer in the neck at city about 50 miles north-
the Flint airport on Wednes- west of Detroit. White
day, and referenced peo- House press secretary Sean
ple being killed overseas Spicer said President Don-
during the attack that’s ald Trump was briefed on
now being investigated as the stabbing.
an act of terrorism, federal Gelios said Ftouhi legally
officials said. entered the U.S. at Cham-
Amor Ftouhi, 49, of Que- plain, New York, on June 16
bec, was immediately tak- and made his way to the
en into custody. A criminal Flint airport on Wednesday
complaint charging him morning.
with committing violence Ftouhi spent some time in
at an airport says Ftouhi public, unsecured areas
asked an officer who sub- of the airport before go-
dued him why the officer ing to a restroom where he
didn’t kill him. dropped two bags before
The attack is being investi- attacking the officer with
gated as an act of terror- a 12-inch knife that had an
ism, but authorities have 8-inch serrated blade, Ge-
no indication at this time lios said.
that he was involved in a Ftouhi never went through
“wider plot,” said FBI Spe- any security screening,
cial Agent in Charge David Gelios said. He described This March 11, 2005 photo shows Jeff Neville in Goodrich, Mich. Michigan State Police Lt. Mike
Gelios. Ftouhi as “cooperative” Shaw said the officer stabbed Wednesday, June 21, 2017 is Lt. Jeff Neville with the Bishop Interna-
“At this time we view him and talking to investigators. tional Airport police. Associated Press
as a lone-wolf attacker,” Witnesses described see-
Gelios said. “We have no ing the suspect being led Ftouhi to the ground as bing Wednesday. A few miles away, officials
information to suggest any away as Neville was bleed- Miller and other officers ar- “Things were chaotic, but stationed police officers at
training.” ing, a knife on the ground. rived to help. very well organized and Flint City Hall after the inci-
The criminal complaint says “The cop was on his hands Genesee County Commis- under control — how the dent. Mayor Karen Weaver
Ftouhi stabbed Lt. Jeff Nev- and knees bleeding from sioner Mark Young, a friend sheriff’s department was said in a release the situa-
ille with a large knife after his neck,” Ken Brown told of Neville’s who retired handling things and how tion was “under control”
yelling “Allahu akbar,” the The Flint Journal. “I said they from the Genesee County Bishop International was but that officials sought to
Arabic phrase for “God is need to get him a towel.” sheriff’s office in 1997, said handling things,” he said. take “extra precautions.”q
great.” According to the Cherie Carpenter, who was Neville left that department
FBI, Ftouhi said something awaiting a flight to Texas to two years after him. He said
similar to “you have killed see her new grandchild, Neville served in various ca-
people in Syria, Iraq, and told Flint TV station WJRT pacities with the sheriff’s of-
Afghanistan, and we are she saw the attacker being fice including in the jail, on
all going to die.” led away in handcuffs. She road patrol and as a court
Neville was in satisfactory described the man in cus- officer. Neville retired from
condition after initially be- tody as appearing “blank, that department as a lieu-
ing in critical condition, just totally blank.” tenant.
airport police Chief Chris Miller, the airport chief, said Young said he headed
Miller said at a late after- Neville “fought him to the to the airport when he
noon news conference end,” managing to stop learned about the stab-
where the charges were the stabbing and bring