Photo: The Canadian Press

A police dog and handler search cars at Bishop International Airport, in Flint, Mich.

A Canadian man shouted in Arabic before stabbing a police officer in the neck at the Flint, Mich., airport on Wednesday, and referenced people being killed overseas during the attack that's now being investigated as an act of terrorism, federal officials said.

Amor Ftouhi, 49, of Quebec, was immediately taken into custody. A criminal complaint charging him with committing violence at an airport says Ftouhi asked an officer who subdued him why the officer didn't kill him.

The attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism, but authorities have no indication at this time that he was involved in a "wider plot," said FBI Special Agent in Charge David Gelios.

"At this time, we view him as a lone-wolf attacker," Gelios said. "We have no information to suggest any training."

The criminal complaint says Ftouhi stabbed Lt. Jeff Neville with a large knife after yelling "Allahu akbar," the Arabic phrase for "God is great." According to the FBI, Ftouhi said something similar to "you have killed people in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and we are all going to die."

Neville was in satisfactory condition after initially being in critical condition, airport police Chief Chris Miller said at a late afternoon news conference where the charges were announced.

Gelios said Ftouhi legally entered the U.S. at Champlain, N.Y., on June 16.

Ftouhi spent some time in public, unsecured areas of the airport before going to a restroom where he dropped two bags before attacking the officer with a 12-inch knife that had an 8-inch serrated blade, Gelios said.