US officer stabbed in suspected terror attack
June 22, 2017
The FBI said it was investigating a knife attack in a US airport as an "act of terrorism."
On Wednesday, a Canadian man in his 50s allegedly stabbed a Flint airport police officer as he yelled "Allahu Akbar," the Arabic phrase for "God is great."
Security camera footage showed the man lingering at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, before emerging from the toilets and pulling out a 12-inch (30-centimeter) knife. He then stabbed an officer in the neck in a non-secured public area, police said.
The FBI said the man made references during the attack to people being killed in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The suspect was arrested and was cooperating with investigators, FBI special agent David Gelios told a news conference.
Victim wrestles attacker
The victim wrestled the attacker to the ground after the assault, police said. The stabbed officer was out of surgery and was in a stable condition.
Authorities said the perpetrator had expressed "hatred for the United States" during questioning in custody.
Police, who conducted joint operations in Canada and the US after the attack, searched the perpetrator's home in Montreal and made two arrests in connection with the stabbing, Canadian media reported. Television footage showed the four-level building surrounded by a police cordon as three women with concealed faces were led away by authorities.
FBI agent Gelios said the man entered the US legally in Lake Champlain, New York on June 16.
"We're trying to develop further information as to his timeline and where he went after he entered the United States," he added.
He said there was no indication the man was part of a wider plot.
No passengers were harmed in the incident, according to the airport, which was evacuated and kept closed.
aw/cmk (AFP, AP)