No terror charges in Edmonton attack
Suspect faces 11 charges, including attempted murder, with investigation still ‘in its infancy’
EDMONTON (CP) — Police have charged a Somali refugee who they say attacked an officer and ran down pedestrians with a truck — but are holding off on terrorism charges for now.
RCMP Supt. Stacey Talbot, with Alberta’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, said the investigation of Abdulahi Hasan Sharif is still “in its infancy.”
“The complexities of a terrorism investigation are vast,” Talbot said Monday. “We continue to collect and gather information.
“As the investigation unfolds and further information is garnered, and if additional charges are supported, they will be pursued at that time.”
Sharif, 30, is to make his first appearance today in provincial court on 11 charges, including five counts of attempted murder. He has also been charged with dangerous driving, four counts of criminal flight causing bodily harm and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Police raised the possibility of terrorism charges on Sunday when revealing that Sharif had been investigated two years earlier for espousing extremist views and was found to have an Islamic State flag in his car.
Edmonton police have said they believe the suspect acted alone and without conspirators during the series of attacks, which began around 8:15 on Saturday night.
Edmonton police Insp. Carlos Cardoso was asked by reporters why authorities did not broadcast the name and details of the suspect to the general public after the police officer was attacked, given the incident had the earmarks of a terrorist attack and was near a sporting event.
“We go on the information we have at the time,” said Cardoso. “At that time we had the area flooded. We had points set up and we knew very little about this individual.
“The events that transpired shortly thereafter happened that quickly so the opportunity to actually provide that duty to warn just wasn’t there at that time.
“There will certainly be a review after this to see if we could do things differently, but I do believe what we have in place right now is working quite well.”
The officer is expected to make a full recovery, while two of the four pedestrians who were run down remain in hospital.
In Ottawa, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Sharif crossed legally into Canada in 2012 at a regular border crossing and obtained refugee status at that time. He said nothing raised any red flags at the time.
On Sunday, RCMP assistant commissioner Marlin Degrand said the suspect was checked thoroughly in 2015 after police received a report that he may have been radicalized.