| Some more detail on this story from yesterday. So dear Readers, place your bets: will he turn out to be self-radicalized over the internet, a highly connected known wolf who tried respectability for a while, or a mental health case? |
- [Daily Mail, Where America Gets Its News] Amor Ftouhi has been identified as the man who stabbed police officer Lt. Jeff Neville at Bishop Airport in Flint, Michigan Wednesday morning
- The approximately 50 year old man is Canadian, but is originally from Tunisia
- He yelled 'Allahu Akbar' before stabbing Neville in the neck with a 12-inch knife
- He was taken into custody within a minute of the terror attack
- Feds say they plan to charge Ftouhi with violence at an international airport - which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison
- Neville is resting comfortably at the hospital in satisfactory condition and is expected to survive his injuries
Officials say Ftouhi, who lives in Quebec, where he apparently worked as an insurance agent, crossed into the U.S. on June 16 via Lake Champlain in New York.
This morning, he arrived at the airport and walked around a bit - never going past security into the terminals.
They say he spent some time on the first level of the airport, before going upstairs to a restaurant. He then went into a bathroom, dropped his baggage there and then came back out to attack Neville.
The FBI spokesman also said that Ftouhi said something to the extent of 'you have killed people in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and you're all going to die'. He added that it was clear the Ftouhi had a 'hatred for the U.S.'
Authorities said there's no indication that Ftouhi was connected to any international terror organization, or that he was part of any wider plot.
Sources told NBC 25/Fox 66 that Ftouhi tried to buy a gun before the attack, but was denied one so he bought a knife instead. The whole incident inside the airport was caught on video, the sources added.
A criminal complaint charging him with committing violence at an airport says Ftouhi asked an officer who subdued him why he didn't kill him.
| Attempted suicide by cop? |
Cherie Carpenter, who was awaiting a flight, told Flint TV station WJRT she saw the attacker being led away in handcuffs. She described the man in custody as appearing 'blank, just totally blank.'
The suspect, who is married and has children, reportedly has dual citizenship in Canada and Tunisia. |