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A Canadian convicted of terrorism for almost killing a Michigan police officer while he was shouting "God is good" in Arabic was sentenced to life in jail on Thursday, after boldly declaring that he only regretted not having had a machine gun during the knife attack.
Amor Ftouhi's statements astonished US District Judge Matthew Leitman, who stated that he had "fought very hard" with the decision to allow or not to allow the Tunisian national to be released from prison One day.
Leitman stated that the remarks "had unquestionably persuaded me" that a term for life was appropriate for Ftouhi, 51, who moved to Montreal in 2007.
"It was crystal clear today: if he had the opportunity to kill more people, he would do it," said the judge.
Ftouhi drove 1,000 km from Montreal to Flint Airport, Michigan, where he repeatedly stabbed Lieutenant Jeff Neville in June 2017.
Amor Ftouhi. (AP Photo / Paul Sancya)
Investigators said Ftouhi wanted to take Neville 's gun and start shooting at people at Bishop' s airport. Ftouhi legally entered the United States at Champlain, NY, and arrived in Flint five days later. He tried but failed to buy a gun at an exhibition, but instead bought a big knife.
"Do I regret what I've done? Never," Ftouhi told the judge in a federal hearing room in Flint. "I'm sorry I do not have that machine gun, I'm sorry I did not kill that cop."
Ftouhi said that he had a good education and many skills, but that he felt discriminated against in Canada because he was not a white Christian. He pledged allegiance to his Muslim religion and said that Western countries and Arab countries should be cursed if they "do not rule according to Allah".
In November he was convicted of terrorism and two other crimes.
Neville survived the attack but lost all sensation on the right side of his face. He retired from the airport police department due to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Police officers gather at Bishop International Airport after the attack on June 21, 2017.
(Dominic Adams / The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP)
"He chose the bad Americans to attack that day," Neville told Leitman, referring to comrades officers and witnesses who had rescued him and jumped on Ftouhi. "He should never walk the streets again as a free man."
Ftouhi's lawyer, Joan Morgan, has pleaded for a 25-year sentence of solitary confinement, saying it would be time for perpetuity because of his age. The judge praised Morgan's work, but questioned him several times about the recommendation, especially after remarks from the Fuhti hearing room.
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Morgan said that Ftouhi's mental health had deteriorated at the time of the attack and had slipped further during the 22 months spent in pre-trial detention pending judgment and judgment.
"People are changing – it's more than just his actions," Morgan said.
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