Latest: US, Canadian authorities cooperate on airport attack
The Latest on the stabbing of a police officer at the Flint, Michigan, airport (all times local) :
7 p.m.
U. S. and Canadian authorities say they are cooperating in the investigation of a Canadian man accused of stabbing a police officer at an airport in Flint, Michigan.
U. S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement he’s „proud of the swift response“ by authorities from both nations. He said Wednesday morning’s attack on Bishop International Airport police Lt. Jeff Neville is being investigated as an act of terrorism and added it will be „prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.“
Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in a statement his government condemns „this heinous and cowardly attack.“ Goodale added there has been „complete cooperation“ between Canadian and U. S. authorities.
U. S. officials have charged 49-year-old Amor Ftouhi of Quebec with committing violence at an international airport. They allege Ftouhi stabbed Neville in the neck with a large knife and declared „Allahu akbar, “ the Arabic phrase for „God is great.“
Neville is in satisfactory condition.
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6 p.m.
The FBI says a Canadian man charged with stabbing an airport officer in the neck in Flint, Michigan, made references during the attack to people being killed in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Special agent in charge David Gelios says authorities are investigating the attack by Amor Ftouhi as an act of terrorism. He says authorities have no indication at this time that Ftouhi was involved in a „wider plot, “ but the investigation is in its early stages.
Gelios says Ftouhi, who is approximately 50 years old, legally entered the U. S. at Champlain, New York, on June 16 and made his way to Bishop International Airport in Flint on Wednesday morning.
Ftouhi spent some time in public, unsecured areas of the airport before emerging from a restroom, yelling „Allahu akbar“ — the Arabic phrase for „God is great“ — and attacking the officer with a 12-inch knife that had an 8-inch serrated blade.
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5: 35 p.m.
A Canadian man has been charged with stabbing an airport officer in the neck in Flint, Michigan.
Federal prosecutors announced the charge Wednesday against Amor Ftouhi of Quebec. He’s charged with committing violence at an airport.
The criminal complaint says Ftouhi stabbed Lt. Jeff Neville with a large knife and declared „Allahu akbar, “ the Arabic phrase for „God is great.“
The FBI says Ftouhi said something similar to „you have killed people in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and we are all going to die.“ Neville was stabbed in the neck and is in stable condition.
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4: 30 p.m.
A Michigan county commissioner says an airport police officer has undergone surgery after being stabbed in the neck.
Genesee County Commissioner Mark Young says he spoke with Lt. Jeff Neville’s family at a hospital after the Wednesday morning attack at Bishop International Airport in Flint.
Neville’s condition was upgraded from critical to stable.
Young retired from the Genesee County sheriff’s office in 1997 and says his „good friend“ Neville did the same two years later.
He says Neville served in various capacities with the sheriff’s office including in the jail, on road patrol and as a court officer. He says Neville retired as a lieutenant.
A man has been arrested in the stabbing, which forced officials to evacuate the airport, about 50 miles northwest of Detroit. The FBI is leading the investigation.
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3: 45 p.m.
The FBI says it’s aware of reports that an attacker made statements during the stabbing of a police officer at the Flint, Michigan, airport but that it’s too early to determine their nature or whether the incident was an act of terrorism.
The statement Wednesday from the FBI says it is believed the stabbing was an isolated incident and there was no further threat to the Flint community. The officer is in stable condition at a hospital, and the suspect in FBI custody and being questioned.
Earlier a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, because the individual wasn’t able to publicly discuss the incident, said the FBI is looking at terrorism as a possible motive in the stabbing.
A second law enforcement official also speaking on condition of anonymity said authorities were investigating witness reports the suspect made during the incident, including saying „Allahu akbar, “ the Arabic phrase for „God is great.“
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3: 20 p.m.
The White House says President Donald Trump has been briefed on the stabbing of an officer at the Flint, Michigan, airport.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer says Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert briefed Trump on Wednesday regarding the stabbing. Law enforcement officials have said the FBI is looking at terrorism as a possible motive in the assault at Bishop International Airport.
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2: 25 p.m.
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.
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Associated Press writer Sadie Gurman contributed to this report from Phoenix.
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1: 10 p.m.
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.
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12: 20 p.m.
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.
