PHOENIX — An Arizona man facing a terrorism charge for brandishing a knife in an encounter with a sheriff's sergeant was carrying out a "lone wolf" attack, authorities said Thursday.
Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone said at a news conference that 18-year-old Ismail Hamed of Fountain Hills told a dispatcher before the Jan. 7 attack that he had an affiliation with a terror group.
Hamed was previously charged with aggravated assault for allegedly throwing rocks at the sergeant and brandishing a knife outside a sheriff's substation in Fountain Hills, a Phoenix suburb.
Investigators said the sergeant shot Hamed after he ignored repeated warnings to drop the weapon.
A terrorism charge accusing Hamed of assisting the Islamic State was filed Tuesday.
County court records state that Hamed allegedly provided "advice, assistance, direction or management to the Islamic State of Iraq" and ISIS on or about Jan. 7.
A woman at the office of Hamed's attorney, Faisal Ullah, said the law firm had no comment on the case Thursday.
