A Flint airport police officer injured in a suspected terrorist attack this week is expected to go home after spending the weekend recovering at a local hospital.
Lt. Jeff Neville was stabbed in the neck at Flint’s Bishop International Airport Wednesday morning. Investigators say 49-year-old Amor Ftouhi used a knife he purchased as he travelled from his home in Montreal to Flint.
Despite being seriously wounded, Neville helped other airport employees to subdue Ftouhi.
Neville was rushed to Flint’s Hurley Medical Center as paramedics tried to stop the wound from bleeding.
Trauma surgeon Donald Scholten says Neville suffered a twelve-inch slash to his neck, which was life-threatening. He says the stab wound damaged muscle and tissue, but fell just short of cutting arteries to the brain.
“This was a matter of millimeters,” says Scholten. “The laceration, the slash, whatever you want to call it, was probably very, very close to severing his major artery and nerve…perhaps even his windpipe.”
Neville underwent hours of surgery at Hurley. His condition has been upgraded.
Doctors credit Neville’s calm demeanor in the minutes immediately after the attack for assisting his recovery.
Dr. Scholten expects Neville will spend another 48 hours in the hospital. His recovery is expected to take another six to eight weeks.
Amor Ftouhi remains in federal custody. He’s charged with committing an act of violence at an airport. More federal charges are expected.
Ftouhi is scheduled to return to court next Wednesday for a detention hearing.
