FLINT, MI – Amor Ftouhi told U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Leitman he was not sorry for stabbing an officer at Flint’s Bishop Airport.

The 51-year-old Ftouhi entered the courtroom Thursday morning chanting “Allahu Akbar” and telling his interpreter to shut up as he did not require her translation.

“Do I regret what I did? Never,” said Ftouhi. “If I have to do (it) one more time, I’ll do it but not without a machine gun. I regret I didn’t kill that cop.”

He was found guilty in November 2018 on single counts of committing an act of violence at an international airport, interference with airport security and committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries.

The judge handed down life sentences on the interference and terrorism charges and a 240-month sentence on the act of violence charge.

Ftouhi, 51, stabbed Bishop Airport Lt. Jeff Neville the morning of June 21, 2017 while the now-retired officer was on duty in the airport terminal.

Defense attorneys had asked for a 25-year prison sentence, arguing Ftouhi had become depressed due to financial circumstances and alleged discrimination that prevented him from finding steady employment upon moving to Canada in the mid-2000s.

Flint airport stabber’s attorney asks for reduced, 25-year prison sentence In a sentencing memorandum filed Thursday, April 11 with the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Ftouhi’s attorneys seek a 25-year prison sentence. Sentencing guidelines on all counts call for a life sentence.

“He hasn’t shown any remorse thus far, so I’m not really surprised,” said Neville after the judge gave his sentencing. “It would be hollow if he expressed remorse (now).”

Neville was released from the hospital five days after the incident. He officially retired in late February from Bishop Airport after serving with there since 2001. Neville worked for the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office from 1982-99.

He told the court he does suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the attack that has left a noticeable scar on the right side of his neck.

When asked how often he thinks about the events of that day, Neville said “I think about it constantly because I have a loss of feeling in my face,” describing it as a numbness like traveling to the dentist’s office but “it never goes away.”

“I don’t hate him. I said that from the beginning,” said Neville of Ftouhi, recalling being asked the question during a visit to the Flint Islamic Center one week after the attack. “I said that day I don’t hate that man. The reason I say that man is because I won’t say his name. I don’t hate him, but I won’t say his name. I just feel there’s too much hate in the world.”

Ftouhi has 14 days to file an appeal.</s>April 19 (UPI) -- A Canadian citizen was sentenced to life in prison for stabbing a police officer in the neck at a Michigan airport in 2017.

Amor Ftouhi, 51, was charged with an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, violence at an international airport and interference with airport security and was convicted by a federal jury in 2018, CNN reported.

In 2017, Ftouhi stabbed airport security Lt. Jeff Neville twice in the neck with a knife while yelling that God is great in Arabic with the plan to steal Neville's gun to kill people at Flint, Michigan's Bishop International Airport.

U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said in his sentencing memo that Ftouhi had planned the attack at least months before it took place while living in Montreal, Canada, where he emigrated to from Tunisia in 2007.

Ftouhi had entered the United States from Canada legally through New York on June 16, 2017, before entering Michigan two days later.

During sentencing Thursday in federal court, Federal Judge Matthew Leitman handed down the life sentence after Ftouhi said he did not regret his crimes and that he'd do them again, WXYZ Detroit reported.

Ftouhi told the judge that he regretted not having a machine gun that day so he could have killed a lot of people including officer Neville, WSMH reported.

He also told Leitman that he still had jihad in his heart.

Following the sentencing, Neville, who had since left the force and suffers from PTSD from the attack, said, "I would have been disappointed if he didn't get life because he's really a dangerous man, because I think if he got out of prison at 70-years-old he'd still be a dangerous man."

Defense Attorney Joan Morgan argued for a 25-year sentence, calming his client had mental issues.</s>FLINT, Mich. — A Canadian man convicted of terrorism for nearly killing an airport police officer in Michigan was sentenced Thursday to life in prison.

U.S. prosecutors said Amor Ftouhi drove 1,000 miles from Montreal to the airport in Flint, Michigan, where he yelled “God is great” in Arabic and repeatedly stabbed Lt. Jeff Neville in 2017.

Investigators said Ftouhi wanted to stab Neville, take his gun and start shooting people in the airport. He legally drove into the U.S. at Champlain, New York, and arrived in Flint five days later. He tried but failed to buy a gun at a gun show and instead bought a large knife.

Prosecutors have said he told investigators his “mission was to kill and be killed.”

FBI: Stabbing suspect in Michigan days before airport attack, unable to buy gun

His defense lawyer, Joan Morgan, said Ftouhi wasn’t attempting to create mass casualties and wanted to be killed so his family could collect life insurance and so he could become a martyr.

Before sentencing, Ftouhi told the judge he had no regrets and only wished he could have acquired a machine gun that day to kill Neville and others.

Ftouhi, who moved to Canada in 2007, was convicted in November. He was sentenced in a federal courtroom in Flint by U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman.

The case was a slam dunk for federal prosecutors, who sought a life sentence. They noted that witnesses saw Ftouhi attack Neville and wrestled him to the ground.</s>FLINT, Mich. — A Tunisian man was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for stabbing a police officer at the airport in Flint, Michigan, a decision a federal judge said was made easier by the defendant's defiant and angry remarks in court.

"Do I regret what I did? Never," Amor Ftouhi, 51, told U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman. "If I had to do it one more time, I would do it. I regret I didn't kill that cop."

Leitman noted that Ftouhi stated he wished he was free so that he could continue to harm and kill people.

"I have never imposed a sentence even close to this before," the judge said. "I wrung my hands about whether that (life) is an appropriate sentence, but after this morning, I have no doubt whatsoever."

In June 2017, Ftouhi shouted "Allahu Akbar (God is greatest)" before stabbing Lieutenant Jeff Neville, who was working security at Bishop Flint Airport. Other officers wrestled Ftouhi to the ground and prevented him from grabbing Neville's gun.

An FBI investigation found that Ftouhi, who lived in Montreal, Canada, had legally entered the United States five days earlier and tried on multiple occasions to buy a firearm at a gun show.

Ftouhi said on Thursday he had hoped to obtain a machine gun. Failing that, he used a knife to attack Neville, who survived and testified in court on Thursday.

Ftouhi, who holds dual Tunisian-Canadian citizenship, was convicted during a five-day trial in November.

In an unusual move, Leitman interrupted Ftouhi's statement to the court on Thursday to tell him his testimony was damaging his case. Ftouhi was undeterred and continued to rail against the United States, his defense counsel and American Muslims who do not "care about your brothers around the world."

"In my heart, in my blood, in my head, I felt I had to do jihad against the enemies of Allah," Ftouhi said.

Ftouhi's attorney Joan Morgan said the assailant had been depressed and mentally unstable.

Neville, 57, retired from his job of 37 years following the attack. He told reporters after the hearing that Ftouhi had lived a normal life up until about two years ago.

"I can't wrap my head around it ... He came to this country, to Flint, Michigan, to attack me?" Neville said. "I would have been disappointed, frankly, if he didn't get life because he's a really dangerous man. If he got out of prison at 70 years old, he'd still be a dangerous man."</s>FLINT, Mich. - A Canadian man convicted of terrorism for nearly killing a Michigan airport police officer has been sentenced to life in prison.

Amor Ftouhi (ah-MOOR’ fuh-TOO’-ee) was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman.

Investigators say Ftouhi drove 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) from Montreal in 2017 and arrived at the airport in Flint, Michigan. While there, he yelled “God is great” in Arabic and repeatedly stabbed Lt. Jeff Neville.

Federal investigators say Ftouhi wanted to get Neville’s gun and shoot people at the airport.

Defense attorneys say Ftouhi wasn’t attempting to create mass casualties and wanted to be killed so his family could collect life insurance and he could become a martyr.

But before sentencing, Ftouhi told the judge he had no regrets and only wished he could have acquired a machine gun that day to kill Neville and others.

Ftouhi is a native of Tunisia who moved to Canada in 2007.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>A Tunisian man with dual Canadian citizenship has been sentenced to life in prison for stabbing a Michigan airport cop in the neck in a terrorist attack.

Amor Ftouhi, 53, was sentenced in a federal court in Flint, Michigan on Thursday after being convicted last year on terrorism and other charges.

Witnesses saw Ftouhi attack Lt. Jeff Neville at Flint's Bishop International Airport in June 2017 and wrestle him to the ground.

Prosecutors said he told investigators his 'mission was to kill and be killed.'

His defense lawyer, Joan Morgan, said Ftouhi wasn't attempting to create mass casualties and wanted to be killed so his family could collect life insurance and so he could become a martyr.

Investigators said Ftouhi wanted to stab Neville, take his gun and start shooting people in the airport.

Before sentencing, Ftouhi told the judge he had no regrets and only wished he could have acquired a machine gun that day to kill Neville and others.

Ftouhi said he wants to commit another act of terrorism, only do it "better" by successfully killing people.

Ftouhi, who moved to Canada in 2007, was convicted in November. He was sentenced in a federal courtroom in Flint by U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman.

On Tuesday, the jury convicted Ftouhi of three crimes after deliberating for just over an hour.

The 53-year-old father of three is a native of Tunisia who was living in Montreal at the time of the stabbing. He holds dual Canadian and Tunisian citizenship.

He legally drove into the U.S. at Champlain, New York, and arrived in Flint five days later. He tried but failed to buy a gun at a gun show and instead bought a large knife.

Witnesses said he yelled, 'Allahu akbar' - Arabic for Allah is the greatest - during the attack before stabbing Neville with an eight-inch serrated knife.

'He further exclaimed something similar to, 'You have killed people in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and we are all going to die,'' according to a court affidavit submitted by authorities.

Neville survived but has lost feeling in part of his face as a result of being stabbed in the neck.

'This is what a Muslim is born for,' Ftouhi said in a handwritten note to his wife that was found in his apartment.

FBI agent Shadi Elreda told jurors about his interview with Ftouhi after his arrest. He said Ftouhi was upset that Neville might survive.

'His mission was to kill and be killed. He said his mission was not over,' Elreda testified.

Ftouhi's lawyers didn't offer an opening statement at trial and didn't call any witnesses.

In her closing argument, attorney Joan Morgan said Ftouhi was unstable and believed it would be easier to be killed by police in the U.S. than in Canada.

'He was a person who was absolutely looking for a way out,' she said.

Ftouhi was convicted of committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, committing an act of violence at an international airport and interference with airport security.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathleen Corken told jurors: 'This isn't a mystery. He was caught right there. He has the knife in his hand.'

The attack came amid a wave of jihadist-inspired attacks in Europe, but investigators have said there is no information to suggest that the Flint stabbing was part of a wider plot.</s>Ever since the attack at Bishop International Airport in June of 2017, security measures have increased.

Although it happened in 2017, the memories live with people that were there every day.

“We stopped this, it was an attack that was made but it was halted. And so, we’re ever vigilant, we’ve upgraded a lot of systems, and we’re always training,” Transportation Security Manager, Dar Allen said.

Allen said he was there when his friend and co-worker Lt. Jeff Neville was taken to the hospital after being stabbed in the neck by Amor Fthoui.

On April 18th, after a nearly two-year process, a judge sentenced Ftouhi to life in prison.

“I’m elated at the judge’s decision, but it doesn’t stop with him. Unfortunately, there are others that will want to take up his mantle, and those are the men and women that we have to continually be vigilant against,” Allen said.

The issue over weapons being taken into airports is one that TSA continues to address.

“Back in 2008, we had 800 firearms at airport checkpoints nationwide. Last year in 2018, more than 4200,” TSA Regional Spokesperson Mark Howell said.

Howell said the number of attempts to bring guns onto aircrafts has increased exponentially in the past decade. He said, fortunately, that isn’t the problem at Bishop International Airport.

“Here in Flint Bishop, not a huge concern. We had two last year, we haven’t had one so far in 2019,” Howell said.</s>FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A Canadian man convicted of terrorism for nearly killing a Michigan police officer while yelling "God is great" in Arabic was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday, after boldly declaring that he only regretted not having a machine gun during the knife attack.

Amor Ftouhi's statements stunned U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman, who said he'd been "wrestling very hard" with a decision about whether to allow the Tunisia native a chance to someday be released from prison.

Leitman said the remarks "persuaded me beyond any shadow of a doubt" that a life term was appropriate for the 51-year-old Ftouhi, who moved to Montreal in 2007.

"He was crystal clear today: If he had the opportunity to kill more people, he would," the judge said.

Ftouhi drove 1,000 miles from Montreal to the airport in Flint, Michigan, where he repeatedly stabbed Lt. Jeff Neville in the neck in June 2017.

Investigators said Ftouhi wanted to take Neville's gun and start shooting people at Bishop Airport. Ftouhi legally entered the U.S. at Champlain, New York, and arrived in Flint five days later. He tried but failed to buy a gun at a gun show and instead bought a large knife.

"Do I regret what I did? Never," Ftouhi told the judge inside a federal courtroom in Flint. "I regret I didn't get that machine gun. I regret I didn't kill that cop."

Ftouhi said he had a good education and many skills but felt discrimination in Canada because he wasn't a white Christian. He pledged allegiance to his Muslim faith and said western countries and Arabic countries should be cursed if they "don't rule according to Allah."

He was convicted in November of terrorism and two other crimes.

Neville survived the attack but has lost feeling on the right side of his face. He retired from the airport police department because of post-traumatic stress disorder.

"He picked the wrong Americans to attack that day," Neville told Leitman, referring to fellow officers and witnesses who saved him and pounced on Ftouhi. "He should never walk the streets as a free man again."

Ftouhi's attorney, Joan Morgan, argued for a 25-year prison sentence in solitary confinement, saying it would effectively be a life term because of Ftouhi's age. The judge praised Morgan's work but repeatedly challenged her over the recommendation, especially after Ftouhi's courtroom remarks.

Morgan said Ftouhi's mental health had deteriorated at the time of the attack and has slipped even further during 22 months in custody awaiting trial and sentencing.

"People change. ... He is more than what his actions were," Morgan said.</s>The Latest: Canadian sentenced to life in US airport attack

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — The Latest on the sentencing of a Canadian man convicted of terrorism for nearly killing a Michigan airport police officer (all times local):

A Canadian man convicted of terrorism for nearly killing a Michigan airport police officer has been sentenced to life in prison.

Amor Ftouhi (ah-MOOR' fuh-TOO'-ee) was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman.

Investigators say Ftouhi drove 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) from Montreal in 2017 and arrived at the airport in Flint, Michigan. While there, he yelled "God is great" in Arabic and repeatedly stabbed Lt. Jeff Neville.

Federal investigators say Ftouhi wanted to get Neville's gun and shoot people at the airport.

Defense attorneys say Ftouhi wasn't attempting to create mass casualties and wanted to be killed so his family could collect life insurance and he could become a martyr.

But before sentencing, Ftouhi told the judge he had no regrets and only wished he could have acquired a machine gun that day to kill Neville and others.

Ftouhi is a native of Tunisia who moved to Canada in 2007.

U.S. prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for a Canadian man who was convicted of terrorism for nearly killing a Michigan airport police officer.

Amor Ftouhi (ah-MOOR' fuh-TOO'-ee) is returning to federal court on Thursday. He drove 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) from Montreal in 2017 and arrived at the airport in Flint, Michigan, where he yelled "God is great" in Arabic and repeatedly stabbed Lt. Jeff Neville.

Federal investigators say Ftouhi wanted to get Neville's gun and shoot people at the airport. But his lawyer says he wasn't attempting to create mass casualties. Joan Morgan says Ftouhi wanted to be killed so his family could collect life insurance and he could become a martyr.

Ftouhi is a native of Tunisia who moved to Canada in 2007.</s>U.S. prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for a Canadian man who was convicted of terrorism for nearly killing an airport police officer.

Amor Ftouhi is returning to federal court on Thursday, April 18.

He drove 1,000 miles from Montreal in 2017 and arrived at Bishop International Airport in Flint, where he repeatedly stabbed Lt. Jeff Neville.

Federal investigators say Ftouhi wanted to get Neville's gun and shoot people at the airport. But his lawyer says he wasn't attempting to create mass casualties. Joan Morgan says Ftouhi wanted to be killed so his family could collect life insurance and he could become a martyr.
Amor Ftouhi is sentenced to life in prison for stabbing a police officer at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, United States in June 2017.