Montreal man convicted of terrorism in Michigan airport stabbing

Witnesses saw Amor Ftouhi attack Lt. Jeff Neville at the Flint airport and wrestled him to the ground.</s>FILE PHOTO: Amor Ftouhi, arrested in connection with the stabbing of a police officer at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, is pictured in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters June 29, 2017. FBI/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reuters) - A man accused of stabbing a police officer at a Michigan airport last year was convicted in U.S. federal court on Tuesday of charges including terrorism, a court official said.

A jury in Flint, Michigan, found Amor Ftouhi guilty on charges of committing an act of violence at an international airport, interference with airport security and committing an act of terrorism, the court said.

Ftouhi's defense did not present a case and the jury took just more than an hour to reach its verdict, the court said. Ftouhi had pleaded not guilty and the trial began last week in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The defendant's lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sentencing is set for March 7. Ftouhi, who holds dual Tunisian-Canadian citizenship, faces up to life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count. U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman, who presided over the trial, will impose sentencing.

Ftouhi was originally charged last year with violence at an international airport for stabbing Jeff Neville, an officer at the Bishop International Airport in Flint, in the neck, authorities said.

In March, a federal grand jury indicted Ftouhi on a terrorism charge stemming from the attack.

Federal prosecutors said that on June 21, 2017, Ftouhi approached Neville at the airport and stabbed him, shouting: "Allahu Akbar (God is greatest)," and referencing killings in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. After his arrest, Ftouhi told officials he was a 'soldier of Allah' and subscribed to the ideology of al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, prosecutors said.

Ftouhi legally entered the United States from Lake Champlain, New York, on June 16 before making his way to Flint, the FBI said. Officials said Ftouhi targeted a city with an international airport, but declined to say why Flint was chosen.

"They rendered the correct verdict in my eyes," Neville, the police officer who was stabbed, told reporters, adding the verdict gave him some peace.

"I would rather be working at the airport right now," said Neville, who is trying to pursue a career in real estate. "I really liked my job and it really pains me that I'm not going to be able to do that anymore."</s>"Amor M. Ftouhi, 51, of Quebec, Canada, was found guilty of three crimes, including an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, in conjunction with an attack on a Bishop Airport officer in Flint, Michigan on June 21, 2017," the release said on Tuesday.

On the day of the incident, according to the release, Ftouhi stabbed the police officer in the neck twice while referring to killings in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan while yelling "Allahu Akbar." After his arrest, Ftouhi told law enforcement that he subscribed to the ideology of Al Qaeda and planned to kill other police officers in the airport after stealing the victim's gun.

Before the attack, Ftouhi had conducted online research of US gun laws before travelling to Michigan where he was unsuccessful in repeated attempts to buy a firearm.</s>FLINT, Mich. - A man charged in connection to a terrorist attack at Flint's Bishop International Airport has been found guilty by a jury on all charges.

Amor Ftouhi faced charges including committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries. An airport police officer was stabbed in his neck with a serrated hunting knife. The government said Ftouhi's plan was to stab the officer, get the cop's gun and shoot others inside the airport.

That officer, Lt. Jeff Neville, testified during the trial. He said he was attacked in June 2017 with a "Rambo knife," comparing its large size to the knife used by Sylvester Stallone's John Rambo character in the 1982 movie "First Blood." He said he fell to his hands and knees at Flint's Bishop Airport.

"I was watching this puddle of blood underneath me that was spreading and I just remember how weird that was. ... I felt like if I laid down on my back, I might not get back up," Neville testified on the third day of trial.

Ftouhi, a Tunisian who was living in Montreal, legally drove into the U.S. at Champlain, New York, and arrived in Flint five days later. Airport police Chief Chris Miller said he jumped on Ftouhi and tried to handcuff him.

"He said, 'Allahu Akbar. You have killed people in Afghanistan, and you have killed people in Iraq,'" Miller testified. "That's not something that you normally hear every day. It's distinctive in my mind. We were fighting. There was a lot of blood."

Neville no longer works at the airport.

"It's something that you never forget because you can't feel half of your face," Neville said of the aftermath. "Even sleeping is different."

Copyright 2018 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>A Tunisian man living in Montreal who drove to Flint’s Bishop Airport and stabbed an airport police officer has been convicted of terrorism and other crimes in federal court. Amor Ftouhi attacked Lt. Jeff Neville at the Flint airport in June of 2017. Neville was seriously injured, but survived. Ftouhi was convicted of three crimes on Tuesday.

Investigators said Ftouhi’s plan was to stab Neville , take his gun and shoot people in the airport. He had driven to Flint five days after entering the U.S. by way of the entry point in Champlain, New York. He tried to buy a gun at a gun show, but failed, instead purchasing a large knife.</s>FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A man who drove to Michigan from Montreal and stabbed an airport police officer has been convicted of terrorism and other crimes.

It was a slam dunk for federal prosecutors: Witnesses saw Amor Ftouhi attack Lt. Jeff Neville at the Flint airport and wrestled him to the ground.

Ftouhi was convicted of three crimes Tuesday. He’s a Tunisian who was living in Montreal at the time of the June 2017 stabbing.

Investigators say 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.</s>A native of Tunisia who was living in Canada was convicted Tuesday of an act of terrorism for the stabbing of a police officer at the international airport in Flint, Michigan.

Amor Ftouhi, who faces a maximum of life in prison, was convicted by a jury after only an hour of deliberation, WXYZ-TV reported.

He allegedly entered Bishop International Airport on June 20, 2017, walked up to Lt. Jeff Neville and stabbed him with a knife while yelling “Allahu Akhbar.”

Often mistranslated “God is great,” the phrase is Arabic for “Allah is the greatest,” or “Allah is supreme” over all other gods.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Ftouhi entered the U.S. from Canada on June 16, 2017. After unsuccessfully attempting to purchase a gun, he bought a knife, the station reported.

Ftouhi told law-enforcement agents after the attack he was a “soldier of Allah” who followed al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden.

Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch, noted the case received very little establishment media attention, possibly “because it is such a quintessential example of jihad.”

Ftouhi not only screamed “Allahu akbar” as he stabbed the officer, he struck him in the neck, Spencer pointed out, as commanded in Quran 47:4.

MLive reported one of the agents who interrogated Ftouhi, FBI Special Agent Shadi Elreda, said Ftouhi told him “his mission was to kill a United States government employee.”

“His mission was to kill and be killed. He said his mission was not over. He said he would have a better chance of success and enter into heaven,” Elreda testified.

“He said they needed to act against the enemies of Allah. He blamed the United States government for their support of Israel.”

The FBI agent said Ftouhi cried because he failed.

The MLive report said Ftouhi told investigators he visited a few mosques in Flint before heading to the airport.

Spencer, noting 72 jihad terrorists have come to the U.S. from the countries listed in President Trump’s initial immigration ban, presented examples of other Muslim immigrants who have killed:
• Somali Muslim migrant Mohammad Barry in February 2016 stabbed multiple patrons at a restaurant owned by an Israeli Arab Christian;
• Ahmad Khan Rahami, an Afghan Muslim migrant, in September 2016 set off bombs in New York City and New Jersey;
• Arcan Cetin, a Turkish Muslim migrant, in September 2016 murdered five people in a mall in Burlington, Washington;
• Dahir Adan, another Somali Muslim migrant, in October 2016 stabbed mall shoppers in St. Cloud while screaming “Allahu akbar”;
• And Abdul Razak Artan, another Somali Muslim migrant, in November 2016 injured nine people with car and knife attacks at Ohio State University.</s>A Montreal man who told investigators that his mission was “to kill and be killed” was convicted of terrorism and other crimes Tuesday in the stabbing of a Michigan airport officer.

READ MORE: Terrorism investigation launched after Canadian Amor Ftouhi accused of stabbing Michigan cop in neck

Federal prosecutors had an easy time persuading jurors: Witnesses wrestled Amor Ftouhi to the ground after seeing him attack Lt. Jeff Neville at the Flint airport in June 2017.

Ftouhi, 53, was convicted of three charges. A native of Tunisia, he also had Canadian citizenship and was living in Montreal at the time of the attack.

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

WATCH: Montreal man accused in Flint airport stabbing says it was ‘his mission’

Investigators say Ftouhi wanted to stab Neville, seize his gun and shoot people in the airport. He legally drove into the U.S. at Champlain, N.Y., and arrived in Flint five days later. He tried unsuccessfully to buy a gun at a gun show and instead bought a large knife.

Witnesses said he yelled, “Allahu Akbar” – God is great – during the attack.

Neville survived but has lost feeling in part of his face as a result of being stabbed in the neck. He no longer works at the airport.

READ MORE: Terrorism investigation launched after Canadian Amor Ftouhi accused of stabbing Michigan cop in 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 United States than in Canada.

WATCH: Stabbed officer in Flint airport attack was millimeters from death

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

Neville described the attack in testimony last week. “I was watching this puddle of blood underneath me that was spreading and I just remember how weird that was. … I felt like if I laid down on my back, I might not get back up,” he said.

Airport police Chief Chris Miller said he jumped on Ftouhi and tried to handcuff him.

“He said, ‘Allahu Akbar. You have killed people in Afghanistan, and you have killed people in Iraq,”‘ Miller testified.</s>FLINT, Mich. — A Montreal man who told investigators that his "mission was to kill and be killed" was convicted of terrorism and other crimes Tuesday in the stabbing of a Michigan airport officer.

It was a slam dunk for federal prosecutors: Witnesses saw Amor Ftouhi attack Lt. Jeff Neville at the Flint airport in June 2017 and wrestled him to the ground.

Ftouhi, 53, was convicted of three crimes. He's a native of Tunisia who was living in Montreal at the time of the stabbing.

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

Investigators say 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.

Witnesses said he yelled, "Allahu akbar" — God is great — during the attack.

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.</s>A Tunisian man who told investigators that his 'mission was to kill and be killed' has been convicted of terrorism and other crimes in the stabbing of an airport officer.

It was a slam dunk for federal prosecutors: Witnesses saw Amor Ftouhi attack Lt. Jeff Neville at the Flint, Michigan airport in June 2017 and wrestled him to the ground.

On Tuesday, the jury convicted Ftouhi, 53, of three crimes after deliberating for just over an hour.

The father of three is a native of Tunisia who was living in Montreal at the time of the stabbing.

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

Investigators say 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.

Witnesses said he yelled, 'Allahu akbar' - God is great - 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.

Investigators said Ftouhi had unsuccessfully tried to purchase a gun while in the United States, prior to the attack.

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.

He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

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.
Amor Ftouhi is found guilty of three federal charges in the stabbing of an airport police officer last year in Flint, Michigan.