Lawyers For Man In Airport Stabbing Want A Charge Dropped

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FLINT, Mich. (AP) - Attorneys are asking a judge to drop one of the two charges against a man who is accused of stabbing a police officer at a Michigan airport.

Amor Ftouhi is a native of Tunisia who lives in Canada. He's accused of stabbing an officer in the neck at Flint's Bishop International Airport last June while yelling "Allahu Akbar," the Arabic phrase for "God is great."

Ftouhi, a Montreal resident, is charged with committing an act of violence and interfering with security. But in a court filing Wednesday, his lawyers say the two charges really are the same offense and would illegally expose him to a double punishment.

Prosecutors will have an opportunity to respond. The trial is set for July 30. Lt. Jeff Neville survived the stabbing.