The FBI is investigating the stabbing of a police officer at Flint, Michigan’s Bishop Airport, in the U.S. as a “possible act of terror,” according to reports.
A Canadian man yelling “Allahu Akbar” repeatedly stabbed the officer, including in the neck, at the airport, on Wednesday morning, witnesses told NBC News.
The saying, which means ‘God is great’ in Arabic, is often shouted by Islamic terrorists before attacks or suicide bombings.
The police officer involved in the incident has been identified as Lieutenant Jeff Neville, who is retired from the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department. He has reportedly worked as an officer at the airport since 2001.
Neville was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but his condition has since improved to stable after coming out of surgery.
Police say a suspect has been taken into custody and is being question. They have not released his name.
“The cop was on his hands and knees bleeding from his neck,” said a witness, Ken Brown. “I said they need to get him a towel.”
Brown, who was dropping his daughter off at the airport at the time, said he also saw a man being detained not far from a dropped knife.
Another witness told Fox News that the knifeman’s face was “totally blank” as he carried out the attack.
The airport is closed until further notice while the FBI investigates.
The FBI has remained tight-lipped on what happened at the airport, only releasing a brief statement this afternoon.
“The FBI, with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, is jointly investigating this incident to determine the nature and motive for the attack.
“We are aware of reports that the attacker made statements immediately prior to or while attacking the officer, but it is too early to determine the nature of these alleged statements or whether or not this was an act of terrorism,” an FBI spokesman said.
However, sources told NBC that the bureau is in fact investigating the incident as a “possible act of terror”.
The victim 