Trial In Flint Airport Stabbing Put Off Until Next Summer
FLINT (WWJ/AP) - The case of a Canadian man charged with stabbing a police officer at a Michigan airport isn't on a fast track.
A judge agreed Friday to extend important deadlines while federal investigators and defense lawyers collect and review evidence, especially in Montreal where Amor Ftouhi lived — which means he won't go to trial until more than a year after the alleged attack.
Federal Judge Linda Parker set a July 30, 2018 trial date. She also set May 23 as the day for any plea deal.
Ftouhi is accused of stabbing Lt. Jeff Neville in the neck at Flint's Bishop International Airport last June. Investigators say the native of Tunisia yelled "Allahu Akbar," the Arabic phrase for "God is great," and referenced killings in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Neville fought off his attacker and survived.
Ftouhi legally entered the U.S. at Champlain, New York, on June 16, five days before the attack. He then traveled to Michigan where authorities said where he tried to buy a gun, failed, and purchased a 12-inch knife instead.
According to FBI officials there is no indication that Amor Ftouhi was involved in a wider terrorism plot. It's unlear why he chose Flint, as investigators said he had no apparent ties to the area.
Ftouhi was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts: interference with airport security and committing an act of violence at an international airport, the latter of which carries statutory maximum penalty of up to life in prison.
Ftouhi remains held without bond.
© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.