Refugee faces terror charges in Canada
ASomali refugee who had been on a watch list over extremist views faced five counts of attempted murder and terror charges on Sunday after police said he stabbed a police officer and ran down four pedestrians with a car in Edmonton, Alberta.
The suspect, a 30-yearold man whom police did not identify, had been investigated two years ago for promoting extremist ideology but was not deemed a threat, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said.
RCMP Assistant Commissioner Marlin Degrand said an “exhaustive investigation” into the man in 2015 did not uncover sufficient evidence to pursue charges.
Canadian media identified the suspect as Abdulahi Hassan Sharif, although Reuters was not immediately able to confirm his identity.
Police cordoned off an apartment block near downtown Edmonton and plainclothes officers were seen carrying large bags of equipment into the building.
The attacks in the western Canadian city began when a Chevy Malibu hit a police officer standing in front of a football stadium at about 8.15pm Mountain time on Saturday (0215 GMT Sunday), sending him flying into the air.
The driver got out of the car and stabbed the officer multiple times before fleeing, according to police accounts and surveillance footage of the incident.
Police identified the suspect when he was stopped at a checkpoint and his licence showed that he was the owner of the Malibu. He fled the checkpoint and was apprehended after a police chase across a downtown street, during which he hit four pedestrians.
A Daesh flag was found inside the Malibu, said Rod Knecht, police chief of Edmonton.