A federal jury Tuesday found a Canadian man guilty of stabbing an airport police officer in Flint, Michigan last year.
Prosecutors say he was on a “mission to murder” to support jihad against the United States.
It took the jury of five woman and seven men an hour to find Amor Ftouhi guilty on all three counts, including committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries.
Ftouhi travelled from his home in Montreal to Flint during June of 2017. He attempted to purchase a handgun at gun shops and shows, but failed. He bought a large knife at a store in Novi.
Prosecutors say Ftouhi was on a “mission to murder” when he arrived at Flint’s Bishop International Airport on June 21st, 2017. Ftouhi attacked an airport police officer from behind, stabbing him twice in the neck. The officer survived.
In her closing argument, defense attorney Joan Morgan told the jury Amor Ftouhi was “despondent” and “unstable” over his inability to support his wife and three children since moving from Tunisia to Canada. She claims her client was hoping to be killed by a police officer, not necessarily to kill a police officer.
As the verdict was read, Ftouhi sat, resting his head in his right hand.
Jeff Neville, the man Ftouhi stabbed, was also in court as the verdict was read. Neville testified against Ftouhi last week, but he told reporters he only glanced at the defendant once from the witness stand.
Neville says he was back in court Tuesday to look directly at Ftouhi while the verdict was read.
“Today I locked on him because I just wanted to remember him,” Neville said. “That last time I saw him before last week was when we were laying on the ground….fighting at the airport.”
Ftouhi could face life in prison when he is sentenced in March.
He will likely deliver a statement at the time of his sentencing next year. His attorneys convinced him not to take the witness stand during his weeklong trial.
