Officials: Flint Airport Stabbing Suspect Dual Citizen Of Canada, Tunisia

FLINT (WWJ/AP) - A published report says the man accused of stabbing a police officer at an airport in Flint, Michigan, is a dual citizen of Canada and Tunisia.

Court officials (as heard in courtroom audio released to the media) says 49-year-old Amor Ftouhi has lived in Montreal for the past 10 years with his wife and three children. Ftouhi also has family members living in Tunisia, which is a North African country bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert.

Arabic is the official language of Tunisia and the most prominent religion is Islam.

Officials say Ftouhi also has family in Switzerland.

According to court records, Ftouhi works "on and off" as a truck driver. A federal judge determined that he is qualified for a federally appointed attorney.

Ftouhi was arrested Wednesday morning at the airport after the FBI says he stabbed Lt. Jeff Neville with a large knife while shouting the Arabic phrase "Allahu Akbar," which means God is great. Neville fought back, survived and is in stable condition. No one else was hurt.

Ftouhi entered the U.S. legally via New York last Friday, according to authorities, later making his way to Bishop International Airport Wednesday morning.

[Timeline Of Events Before, During Flint Airport Stabbing]

A Montreal landlord says Ftouhi was a model tenant, having lived in the building for six years with his wife and kids.

Luciano Piazza says "I never had any problems with him ... I'm really surprised."

Ftouhi appeared in federal court Wednesday, hours after the attack that shut down the airport for hours.

He is charged with committing violence at an airport, which carries a 20-year penalty. More charges could be filed as prosecutors take the case to a grand jury seeking an indictment. He remains in custody until a bond hearing on June 28.

© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.