A man has been arrested and charged after a violent weekend attack in Edmonton, the capital city of the western Canadian province of Alberta.
The man, a Somali refugee claimant, is facing several charges in connection with an attack on a city policeman and at least four pedestrians.
On Saturday, a man drove his car into a policeman performing traffic duties near a sporting event knocking the officer several metres into the air. The driver then left the car and stabbed the officer several times. The policeman fought off his attacker who then fled on foot, leaving his damaged car behind.
Miraculously the officer was not seriously injured and after treatment in hospital, was released.
Several hours later a small rental truck was stopped at a roadblock in the city. When officers checked the driver’s name they recognized him as the owner of the car which had struck the traffic officer.
The truck then sped away with police in pursuit. The driver then swerved several times at high speed as it sped through the city, striking several pedestrians before a police vehicle managed to flip the truck on its side.
Although there were serious injuries, no-one was killed. Police are defending their high-speed chase through the busy downtown area Saturday night saying they had to stop the vehicle before further harm could be done to crowds in the area, especially in light of truck attacks in England and Europe.
Abdulahi Hasan Sharif, age 30 now faces several charges including five charges of attempted murder, and although no terrorism related charges have yet been laid, they are likely to come. A black ISIS flag was found in the cab of the truck.
The man had been under scrutiny in 2015 for allegedly espousing radical views but he was not arrested due to insufficient evidence.
Additional information –sources
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