Cops: Terror Attack in Canada Appears to Be by 'Lone Wolf'

Cop stabbed, 4 others injured after car chase; suspect in custody in Edmonton
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 1, 2017 3:15 PM CDT
Cops: 'Lone Wolf' Likely Carried Out Stabbing, Car Chase
Police investigate the scene where a car crashed into a roadblock in Edmonton on Saturday.   (Jason Franson)

A car and knife attack on a cop outside a football game and a high-speed chase that left four people injured appear to be the work of one suspected terrorist, Canadian authorities say. Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht said officers took the suspect, described as a 30-year-old Edmonton man, into custody, the AP reports. Knecht said an ISIS flag was found in the car that hit the officer, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it a terror attack. "To the best of our knowledge, this was a lone wolf attack," Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson said. The incident took place outside a Canadian Football League game at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday night. Police released video showing a white Chevy Malibu ramming into a cop standing in front of his cruiser. The officer is sent flying in the air while the Malibu crashes into the police car; the driver then gets out and appears to stab the officer.

Knecht said the suspect fled on foot after stabbing the officer, who was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A few hours later, a U-Haul van was stopped at an impaired-driving checkpoint north of downtown. Knecht said the name of the driver was similar to the name of the registered owner of the car that hit the cop. He said the van then sped off with police in pursuit. Cops say the vehicle swerved at pedestrians at crosswalks throughout the chase. Four people were hurt; the extent of their injuries wasn't immediately known. The van eventually flipped near a downtown hotel and the suspect was arrested. Knecht said the man was known to police but didn't release his name. "It is believed at this time that these two incidents are related ... and that these incidents are being investigated as acts of terrorism," he said. Knecht said Edmonton police were working with the RCMP and other Canadian security agencies. (More terror attack stories.)

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