Airport Officer Stabbing Being Investigated as Terrorism

Airport Officer Stabbing Being Investigated as Terrorism

Authorities believe the stabbing of an airport officer was an “act of terrorism.”

  • Jun 22, 2017

Authorities are investigating the stabbing of an airport officer at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan as an “act of terrorism,” according to the FBI.

The suspect, identified to the public as Amor Ftouhi, 49,alledgedly went into a public restroom, dropped his bags and then exited the restroom with a knife. Many witnesses heard Ftouhi say something in Arabic before he stabbed police officer, Lt. Jeff Neville in the neck.

David Galios of the FBI said Ftouhi used a 12-inch knife with an 8-inch serrated blade in the attack, which happened just outside the TSA screening area, and “continued to exclaim ‘Allah’ and he made a statement to the effect of ‘You killed people in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan,’ and, ‘We are all going to die.’”

Officials said Lt. Neville got the suspect to stop the attack, and that “Neville never stopped fighting” until the suspect was in handcuffs, which happened within about one minute. Lt. Neville was rushed to the hospital where he is in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.

The FBI believes Ftouhi is a Canadian man who entered the U.S. in Lake Champlain, New York on June 16 and later traveled to Flint.

Ftouhi was interviewed about his motivations and was cooperative, officials said. No one else appears to have been involved in the incident and there is no information to suggest a wide plot.

Officials said it appears the suspect "has a hatred for the United States and a variety of other things that motivated him to coming to the airport today to conduct this act of violence."

The airport remained closed on Thursday, the day after the attack.

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