U.S. prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for a Canadian man who was convicted of terrorism for nearly killing a Michigan airport police officer.

Amor Ftouhi (ah-MOOR' fuh-TOO'-ee) is returning to federal court on Thursday. He drove 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) from Montreal in 2017 and arrived at the airport in Flint, Michigan, where he yelled "God is great" in Arabic and repeatedly stabbed Lt. Jeff Neville.

Federal investigators say Ftouhi wanted to get Neville's gun and shoot people at the airport. But his lawyer says he wasn't attempting to create mass casualties. Joan Morgan says Ftouhi wanted to be killed so his family could collect life insurance and he could become a martyr.

Ftouhi is a native of Tunisia who moved to Canada in 2007.