Suspect of NYPD Police Stabbing Harbored Interest in Islamic Extremism

In a statement, Attorney General William Barr said Camovic “used the cover of chaos" of the Floyd protests to commit a “premeditated and cowardly” attack.

Barr said Camovic's alleged use of encrypted messaging and the hidden part of the internet known as the dark web prevented investigators from learning more about his plans and who else may have been involved.

“If not for the heroism and bravery of the responding NYPD officers who returned fire and took the assailant down early in the attack, untold additional officers and innocents could have been killed or injured,” Barr said.

Camovic has no criminal record and immigrated to the US as a young child because of turmoil in his homeland, Stahl said.

Federal prosecutors said he was born in Germany, has Bosnian citizenship, and no legal immigration status in the US.

Federal prosecutors lodged an immigration detainer against him and filed paperwork requesting that he be kept in jail pending the outcome of his case, arguing that he has no incentive to stay in the US while facing certain deportation.

Stahl said they would not oppose continued detention.

“It’s not like he snuck into the country or something, but his immigration status is perilous because he’s stateless,” Stahl said. 

(Writer: Michael R. Sisak) 

Source: https://apnews.com/0b0c9747ca9a405a29de380fd07dd176