DREAD AFTER EDMONTON ATTACK
An overturned U-Haul truck lies on a street in Edmonton after a man attacked a police officer with a knife and rammed the rented truck into several pedestrians. Police apprehended the suspect following a high-speed chase through the city.
Aman who attacked a police officer and rammed a rented UHaul truck into pedestrians in downtown Edmonton on Saturday night is facing several terrorism related charges.
At a news conference Sunday afternoon, Police Chief Rod Knecht said a 30-year-old Somali national faces two terrorism charges, as well as five counts of attempted murder after stabbing Const. Mike Chernyk and running over four pedestrians on Jasper Avenue, one of the city’s main streets. Federal officials confirmed late Sunday the man had refugee status.
In a bit of good news, Knecht said Chernyk had been released from hospital and was in “good spirits” despite abrasions on his arms and knife wounds to his face and head. “It’s a testament to his experience and training that he survived the confrontation,” said Knecht.
Two of the pedestrians who were struck have also been released from hospital. One suffered a fractured skull and the other a brain bleed, but one of them had their condition upgraded from critical to stable.
Although the suspect, who had an Islamic State flag in the car used in the attack, has not been officially named, police sources confirm he is Abdullahi Hasan Sharif. He is now being questioned by police.
RCMP K-Division assistant commissioner Marlin DeGrande said the man was known to police and in 2015 he had been interviewed by members of the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) for “espousing extremist ideology.” However, after a further investigation, there was insufficient evidence to lay charges or to obtain a peace bond, he said.
Knecht also reiterated that the police believe the man acted alone and police do not believe there were any other participants in the attack.
“We have no reason to believe there is any threat to our city, but we encourage citizens to be vigilant and to report any unusual or suspicious activities to the police complaint line,” he said.
Knecht said the investigation is still in the early stages and that there are multiple crime scenes and several places in the city still being searched.
The attack began at around 8:15 p.m., when the suspect plowed his white Chevrolet Malibu into Const. Chernyk, who was staffing a routine Edmonton Eskimos game-day blockade by himself southwest of Commonwealth Stadium.
The vehicle struck Chernyk, sending him flying through the air 15 feet before colliding with the officer’s cruiser at high speed, witnesses said.
In disturbing video footage of the incident, Chernyk can be seen being tossed through the air by the vehicle before the suspect exits his vehicle and attacks him with a large knife as several witnesses flee the scene.
“He was in a struggle for his life, holding on to his gun with one hand and blocking the knife with his other,” Knecht said.
Using the registration information from the Malibu, Knecht said a description of the suspect and the name was provided to police throughout the city.
A net was dropped over much of north-central Edmonton as police initiated a manhunt for the suspect.
Sometime after 11 p.m., two officers, including one who had only been on the job for two weeks, pulled over a man in a U-Haul truck.
One of the officers noticed that the name on the driver’s licence matched that of the suspect.
The driver then fled, sparking a high-speed police chase.
“Details of the criminal flight from Wayne Gretzky Drive to Jasper Avenue are sobering,” said Knecht. “The truck drove left of centre on several occasions, nearly Tboned at least one vehicle and attempted to run over civilians who were crossing at a crosswalk on Jasper Avenue.”
Four pedestrians were struck.
Kim Anderson was waiting for her bus when she saw the U-Haul hit two of the pedestrians.
“There were people flying and everything,” she said. “I’m shocked — I just see people flying.”
The vehicle continued down the street and was showing no signs of slowing down, said Knecht.
“As a result, a tactical manoeuvre was authorized and successfully executed causing the vehicle to roll on its side,” said Knecht.
Officers then broke the windshield and used a stun grenade in an attempt to apprehend the driver.
The suspect resisted and a Taser was used to temporarily disable him, allowing officers to remove him and place him in handcuffs.
“No shots were fired,” said Knecht. “In fact, no shots were fired anywhere in this entire incident.”
Knecht said the suspect has been examined by a doctor, as per procedure after a Taser is deployed, and he was being questioned Sunday evening.
Police and political leaders urged calm as the investigation continues.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley vowed to do everything in her power to stop terrorism in its tracks.
“Freedom and liberty are core to who we are as Albertans, and that core can never be divided by those who know only fear, violence and hatred,” she said Sunday morning.
“Extremism in all its forms, in all its settings, must be rooted out wherever it is seen.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered similar sentiments and said he was outraged by the tragedy.
“We cannot — and will not — let violent extremism take root in our communities.
“We know that Canada’s strength comes from our diversity, and we will not be cowed by those who seek to divide us or promote fear,” Trudeau said.