The stabbing of a police officer at a Michigan airport Wednesday by a Canadian citizen who yelled "Allahu Akbar" and referenced people being killed in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan is being investigated by the FBI as an act of terrorism, officials said.

FBI Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios said at a news conference Amor Ftouhi, a 49-year-old Canadian citizen, entered Bishop International Airport in Flint around 9:45 a.m. and went to a restroom before dropping both of his bags, coming out with a knife and yelling "Allahu Akbar," the Arabic phrase for "God is great," before stabbing Officer Jeff Neville in the neck.

Ftouhi said something similar to "you have killed people in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and we are all going to die" as he was being arrested, according to Gelios. He also used a 12-inch knife with an 8-inch serrated blade, he added.

The Canadian citizen was motivated to come to the airport and conduct this act of violence out of a "hatred of the United States," according to Gelios. He legally entered the U.S. at Lake Champlain in New York on June 16, and then made his way to Flint, according to Gelios.

Police in Canada were searching a Montreal apartment late Wednesday. Montreal police spokesman Benoit Boiselle told the Associated Press officers with their department were assisting the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the search on behalf of an FBI request.

A number of police stood guard outside the apartment building in the east end of Montreal located in St-Michel borough. Canadian TV footage showed police escorting at least one person from the building where Ftouhi is believed to have lived.

Boiselle said three people staying at the residence had been taken in for questioning.



Luciano Piazza, the building landlord, said Ftouhi was not a difficult tenant and that he is married with children.



"I never had any problems with him," Piazza said. "I'm really surprised. I would see him at least once a month, when he paid his rent."

Federal prosecutors have charged Ftouhi with committing violence at an airport. The entire attack took place outside of the TSA screening area at the airport.

Flint Airport Director of Public Safety Christopher Miller said Neville is in "satisfactory condition," and "doing fine." Miller said Neville "fought him till the end" until the suspect was able to be handcuffed.

The FBI added in the criminal complaint that Ftouhi asked an officer who subdued him why he didn't kill him.

The FBI said this is believed to be an isolated incident and that there was "nothing to suggest a wider plot."

A White House official confirmed to Fox News that President Trump has been briefed on the stabbing.

"I want to assure all our law enforcement across the nation, any attack on someone who serves and protects our citizens will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. "I am proud of the swift response from the FBI and our federal prosecutors and their partnership with local police and the Canadian authorities. Our prayers are with the officer and his family for a full recovery."

Law enforcement agencies in Canada are in touch with their U.S. counterparts and are assisting in every way possible, Canadian Embassy spokesperson Christine Constantin told Fox News. Constantin said Canada condemns this "heinous and cowardly act," and that "our thoughts and sympathies are with the officer and his loved ones."

Ken Brown told The Flint Journal he was dropping off his daughter at the airport and saw the officer bleeding from his neck. He says he saw a man detained by police and a knife on the ground.

"The cop was on his hands and knees bleeding from his neck," Brown said. "I said they need to get him a towel."

Cherie Carpenter, who was awaiting a flight to Texas to see her new grandchild, tells 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."

Genesee County Commissioner Mark Young, a friend of Neville, called him "an honorable man" whom he worked with at the county Sheriff's Department, according to MLive.

Neville was a lieutenant with the airport's police department, said Young, who met with the victim's family and at the hospital today.

"As expected, they are shook up. They are concerned," he told MLive.

The FBI is the lead agency on the scene. State police troopers, along with ATF agents, are also at the airport investigating.

The airport was closed for several hours as a result of the stabbing. The airport posted Wednesday on Facebook that passengers were safe and were being told to check for flight delays or cancellations.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder asked state residents to "keep the attacked officer in your thoughts and prayers" on Twitter.

The stabbing is the second evacuation at Bishop International Airport this month. In the previous incident, the airport terminal was evacuated June 8 after officers noticed a suspicious bag. The bag turned out to contain nothing dangerous.

Genesee County Commissioner Mark Young, a friend of Neville's who retired from the Genesee County sheriff's office in 1997, said Neville left that department two years after him. He said Neville served in various capacities with the sheriff's office including in the jail, on road patrol and as a court officer. Neville retired from that department as a lieutenant.

Young said he headed to the airport when he learned about the stabbing Wednesday. He said once he got there, he "tried to assess and work with emergency management and emergency response teams from the sheriff's department, kind of trying to see what was going on."

"Things were chaotic, but very well organized and under control -- how the sheriff's department was handling things and how Bishop International was handling things," he said.

A few miles away, officials stationed police officers at Flint City Hall after the incident. Mayor Karen Weaver said in a release the situation was "under control" but that officials sought to take "extra precautions."

Fox News' Jake Gibson, Catherine Herridge, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>A law enforcement officer at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, was stabbed in the neck by an attacker earlier this morning.

The unidentified knifeman was arrested and taken into custody by Flint police officers. The Bishop International Airport officer is in critical condition. The name of the officer transported to a local Michigan hospital for emergency treatment has also not yet been released to the public.

Bishop Airport was evacuated after the police officer was stabbed, Local 4 News reports. The FBI has taken the lead in the Michigan airport stabbing case.

A statement from the Flint airport said passengers scheduled to fly out of the Michigan city today should contact their airline to determine if their flights have been canceled or delayed.

Ken Brown, a witness to the Flint airport stabbing, told MLive that he saw the police officer bleeding from the neck and on his hands and knees on the floor. Brown went on to say he saw police officers detain a man not far from where a knife was spotted on the floor of the airport.

A representative from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) told CBS News the Flint airport officer was stabbed in both the neck and the back. The knife attacked reportedly occurred in the public area of the main terminal.

A tweet by the Michigan State Police asks readers to keep the critically injured officer in their prayers. The state police agency also stated the airport is now closed.

Flint Mayor Karen Weaver enhanced security around city hall in the wake of the Bishop International Airport stabbing.

“Right now we are still awaiting more information about the situation at Bishop Airport this morning. My thoughts and prayers are with all of our law enforcement officers who work to serve and protect us each and every day,” the Flint mayor added. “The situation is under control. However, at this time we are taking extra precautions just to be safe.”

Another Flint airport stabbing witness, Cherrie Carpenter, said she saw the face of the armed attacker while waiting to board a flight to Texas to visit relatives. Carpenter described the look on the “husky” man’s face as “blank,” Detroit News reports.

United, Delta, American Airlines, Southwest, and Allegiant airlines all operate out of the Bishop International Airport.</s>FLINT, Mich. (CNN) — A police officer was stabbed Wednesday at a Flint, Michigan airport, and passengers were evacuated, according to authorities.

The officer was stabbed in the neck at Bishop International Airport, Lt. David Kaiser, a spokesman for the Michigan State Police, told CNN. The officer is in critical condition, the Michigan State Police said on Twitter.

CNN is told the suspect is in custody.

A law enforcement official said the stabbing appears to have been targeted against law enforcement.

The FBI is the lead agency responding to the stabbing, according to state police.

Police also posted on Twitter that the airport will remain closed until further notice.</s>The stabbing of a police officer at a Michigan airport on Wednesday is being investigated by the FBI as a possible terror attack, officials said.

Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, was evacuated after Officer Jeff Neville was stabbed in the neck. He’s currently listed as being in stable condition, according to Michigan State Police.

The FBI says the suspect is in custody and is being questioned. They are working to determine a possible motive for the attack.

“We are aware of reports that the attacker made statements immediately prior to or while attacking the officer, but it is too early to determine the nature of these alleged statements or whether or not this was an act of terrorism,” the FBI said in a statement.

This is believed to be an isolated incident, authorities also said.

Ken Brown tells The Flint Journal he was dropping off his daughter at the airport and saw the officer bleeding from his neck. He says he saw a man detained by police and a knife on the ground.

“The cop was on his hands and knees bleeding from his neck,” Brown said. “I said they need to get him a towel.”

Cherie Carpenter, who was awaiting a flight to Texas to see her new grandchild, tells 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.”

Genesee County Commissioner Mark Young, a friend of Neville, called him “an honorable man” whom he worked with at the county Sheriff’s Department, according to MLive.

Neville was a lieutenant with the airport’s police department, said Young, who met with the victim’s family and at the hospital today.

“As expected, they are shook up. They are concerned,” he told MLive.

The FBI is the lead agency on the scene. State police troopers, along with ATF agents, are also at the airport investigating.

The airport remains closed until further notice.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder asked state resident to “keep the attacked officer in your thoughts and prayers” on Twitter.

Mayor Karen Weaver said in a release Wednesday “the situation is under control” but officials sought to take “extra precautions” in light of the Wednesday morning incident at Bishop International Airport. The municipal building remains open.

In response to the stabbing, Flint police were stationed around the City Hall but the building remained open for business.

The airport posted Wednesday on Facebook that passengers were safe and were being told to check for flight delays or cancellations.

The stabbing is the second evacuation at Bishop International Airport this month. In the previous incident, the airport terminal was evacuated June 8 after officers noticed a suspicious bag. The bag turned out to contain nothing dangerous.

The Associated Press and Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.</s>(CNN) -- A police officer was stabbed Wednesday at a Flint, Michigan airport, and the suspect is in custody, according to authorities.

The officer was stabbed in the back and neck on the public side of the Bishop International Airport's main terminal, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

The police officer, identified as Lt. Jeff Neville, is stable, David Kaiser, a spokesman for the Michigan State Police, told CNN. .

All passengers are safe and were evacuated, the airport said on Facebook. A law enforcement official said the stabbing appears to have targeted law enforcement.

The FBI has not made any determination but is investigating whether the airport stabbing is terrorism, a law enforcement official told CNN.

Police posted on Twitter that the airport will remain closed until further notice.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver responded to the stabbing with words of support for officers.

"(P)lease keep the attacked officer in your thoughts & prayers," Snyder said on Twitter.

"My thoughts and prayers are with all of our law enforcement officers who work to service and protect us each and every day," Weaver said in a statement.

The airport's Police Department has six full-time and six part-time police officers. About 800,000 passengers took flights through Bishop last year, according to statistics from the airport.</s>FLINT, Mich. — A police officer was stabbed Wednesday at a Flint, Michigan airport, and the suspect is in custody, according to authorities.

The officer was stabbed in the back and neck in the public side of the Bishop International Airport’s main terminal, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

FOX 17 reports the officer has been identified as Jeff Neville. He is in critical condition.

All passengers are safe and were evacuated, the airport said on Facebook.

A law enforcement official said the stabbing appears to have targeted law enforcement.

The FBI is the lead agency responding to the stabbing, according to state police. Police also posted on Twitter that the airport will remain closed until further notice.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver responded to the stabbing with words of support for officers.

“My thoughts and prayers are with all of our law enforcement officers who work to service and protect us each and every day,” Weaver said in a statement.

The airport’s police department has six full-time and six part-time police officers. About 800,000 passengers took flights through Bishop last year, according to statistics from the airport.</s>FLINT, MICH. - A law enforcement official says the FBI is looking at terrorism as a possible motive in the stabbing of an officer at the Flint, Michigan, airport.

The official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the individual wasn't able to publicly discuss it says the investigation of the Wednesday morning assault at Bishop International Airport is in its early stages.

A second law enforcement official also speaking on condition of anonymity says authorities were investigating witness reports the suspect made during the incident, including saying "Allahu akbar," the Arabic phrase for "God is great."

Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw says one person is in custody and nobody else is believed to have been involved.

Shaw identified the officer who was stabbed is Lt. Jeff Neville with the Bishop International Airport police. He says Neville's condition also has been upgraded from critical to stable condition.

Authorities say a police officer injured at the airport in Flint, Michigan, was stabbed in the neck and his condition is improving.

Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw said the officer stabbed Wednesday morning is Lt. Jeff Neville with the Bishop International Airport police. Shaw says Neville's condition also has been upgraded from critical to stable condition.

Shaw said one person is in custody and nobody else is believed to have been involved.

Shaw says "everything is on the table" as far as motive is concerned but cautioned against jumping to conclusions.

Witnesses have described seeing a man led away in handcuffs by police, Neville bleeding from his neck and knife on the ground.

Shaw said Neville had retired from the Genesee County Sheriff's Department as a lieutenant.

Flint officials say they have stationed police officers around City Hall out of caution after an officer was critically hurt at the city's airport a few miles away.

Mayor Karen Weaver said in a release Wednesday "the situation is under control" but officials sought to take "extra precautions" in light of the Wednesday morning incident at Bishop International Airport. The municipal building remains open.

Witnesses describe seeing a man led away in handcuffs by police and the airport officer bleeding from his neck. Authorities have said the officer is in critical condition.

A witness says a man led away in handcuffs by police after an officer was critically hurt at a Flint, Michigan, airport had a husky build and a 'blank' look on his face.

Cherie Carpenter of tells Flint TV station WJRT she saw the attacker's face Wednesday morning at Bishop International Airport. She was awaiting a flight to Texas to see her new grandchild.

Carpenter described the man in custody as appearing "blank, just totally blank."

She and another witness say they saw the airport officer bleeding from his neck. Authorities say the officer is in critical condition.

Authorities say the police officer injured at a Flint, Michigan, airport is in critical condition.

Michigan State Police said the officer was critically hurt Wednesday morning at Bishop International Airport. Airport officials posted on Facebook that the officer was hurt but offered no further details about the incident.

A witness tells The Flint Journal he saw the officer bleeding form his neck. He also saw a man detained by police and a knife on the ground.

The FBI is leading the investigation.

Airport and police officials didn't immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Officials say the airport in Flint, Michigan, has been evacuated after a police officer was injured.

Bishop International Airport posted Wednesday on Facebook that the officer was hurt but offered no details about the incident. The post added that passengers were safe and were being told to check for flight delays or cancellations.

Ken Brown tells The Flint Journal he was dropping off his daughter at the airport and saw the officer bleeding from his neck. He says he saw a man detained by police and a knife on the ground.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.</s>FLINT, MICHIGAN (CNN) – The FBI said it is investigating the stabbing of a police officer at a Flint, Michigan, airport “as act of terrorism.”

A police officer was stabbed in the back and neck Wednesday at an airport in Flint, Michigan, and the suspect is in custody and being questioned, according to authorities.

The police officer, identified as Lt. Jeff Neville, is in stable condition, said Lt. David Kaiser, a spokesman for the Michigan State Police. He was stabbed on the public side of Bishop International Airport’s main terminal, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

All passengers are safe and were evacuated, the airport said on Facebook. A law enforcement official said the stabbing appears to have targeted law enforcement.

The FBI said it believed the attack was an “isolated incident” and is investigating whether it was an act of terrorism. “We are aware of reports that the attacker made statements immediately prior to or while attacking the officer, but it is too early to determine the nature of these alleged statements or whether or not this was an act of terrorism,” the FBI said. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the attack, an administration official told CNN. US law enforcement officials are working with Canadian authorities to learn more about the ties the suspect has to Canada, according to a law enforcement source. A US official told CNN that, based on preliminary information, it appears the suspect has traveled between the United States and Canada multiple times. A spokesperson for the Canadian Embassy in Washington said the Canadian government and law enforcement agencies are “engaged and are cooperating fully” with their American counterparts. The airport is closed until further notice. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver responded to the stabbing with words of support for officers. “(P)lease keep the attacked officer in your thoughts & prayers,” Snyder said on Twitter. “My thoughts and prayers are with all of our law enforcement officers who work to service and protect us each and every day,” Weaver said in a statement. The airport’s Police Department has six full-time and six part-time police officers . About 800,000 passengers took flights through Bishop last year, according to statistics from the airport</s>By Shimon Prokupecz, Lauren Del Valle and Eric Levenson (CNN) -- A police officer was stabbed Wednesday at a Flint, Michigan airport, and passengers were evacuated, according to authorities.

The officer was stabbed in the neck at Bishop International Airport, Lt. David Kaiser, a spokesman for the Michigan State Police, told CNN. The officer is in critical condition, the Michigan State Police said on Twitter.

CNN is told the suspect is in custody.

A law enforcement official said the stabbing appears to have targeted law enforcement.

The FBI is the lead agency responding to the stabbing, according to state police. Police also posted on Twitter that the airport will remain closed until further notice.

The airport's Police Department has six full-time and six part-time police officers. About 800,000 passengers took flights through Bishop last year, according to statistics from the airport.</s>REUTERS: Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, was evacuated on Wednesday after a police officer was stabbed in the neck in what a U.S. government official familiar with the situation said was being investigated as a possible act of terrorism.

All passengers were safe, the airport said in a brief statement on its Facebook page. The officer who was stabbed is Lieutenant Jeff Neville of the Bishop International Airport Department of Public Safety, Michigan State Police spokeswoman Lori Dougovito said by telephone.

Neville underwent surgery after the attack and is stable, Dougovito said. Asked if the stabbing was under investigation as possible terrorism, the government official, who asked not be named, said "yes."

The officer was stabbed inside the airport's main terminal, Michigan State Police spokesman David Kaiser said in a telephone interview from the airport.

"We are aware of reports that the attacker made statements immediately prior to or while attacking the officer, but it is too early to determine the nature of these alleged statements or whether or not this was an act of terrorism," the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Detroit field office said in a statement.

Police have taken a "person of interest" into custody, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said in a statement. Officials increased security at Flint City Hall, including additional police officers, in "an abundance of caution," the statement said.

Bishop Airport is a small regional airport with two runways that has, on average, 16 commercial flights arriving or departing each day, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking service.

The airport warned of potential cancellations and delays after the incident.
A police officer is stabbed in the neck at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan. The FBI is investigating the incident as terrorism. The suspect was arrested on scene and charged with a federal count of violence at an international airport. The victim survived.