Mounties say the man accused of attacking a police officer and running down four pedestrians with a rental truck in a dramatic late-night downtown chase is a Somali refugee once investigated for espousing extremism.

RCMP assistant commissioner Marlin Degrand said the suspect, 30, was checked thoroughly in 2015 and deemed at that time to not pose a threat.

香蕉视频直播淭here was insufficient evidence to pursue terrorism charges or a peace bond,香蕉视频直播� Degrand said Sunday. 香蕉视频直播淭he suspect was actually not deemed at that time to pose a threat to the security of Canada.香蕉视频直播�

Degrand said files on the suspect were kept and shared with other intelligence and police agencies after 2015, but said that was as much as the law would allow.

香蕉视频直播淲e didn香蕉视频直播檛 have sufficient evidence to warrant continued investigation of that individual following the 2015 (check),香蕉视频直播� he said.

Police did not name the suspect, who they said was arrested with an Islamic state flag in one of his vehicles.

READ:

Degrand initially said was the suspect was the process of making a refugee claim in Canada, but a spokesman with the federal Public Safety Department later clarified that he had already been found to be a refugee by the Immigration and Refugee Board.

He is facing a number of charges, including five counts of attempted murder, dangerous driving and participation in a terrorist activity.

Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht said, so far, it appears the suspect does not have any co-conspirators.

香蕉视频直播淔rom all indications it appears that this was a single individual acting alone,香蕉视频直播� said Knecht. 香蕉视频直播淲e have no reason to believe that there is any threat to our city.香蕉视频直播�

The attacks began around 8:15 Saturday night near Commonwealth Stadium, just north of downtown, during a game between the CFL香蕉视频直播檚 Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. It was military appreciation night. Canada香蕉视频直播檚 chief of defence staff, Gen. Jonathan Vance, conducted the pregame coin flip and two CF-18 fighter jets did a fly-past before kickoff.

Outside the stadium, Edmonton police Const. Mike Chernyk, with his marked, flashing cruiser was handling crowd control and security when a speeding white Chevy Malibu rammed through a barrier and hit his car, sending him flying five metres through the air.

The driver then got out, pulled out a large knife and began stabbing him. Knecht said Chernyk, a 10-year-veteran, fought back, forcing the suspect to flee on foot.

香蕉视频直播淗e was in a struggle for his life, holding onto his gun with one hand and blocking the knife with his other,香蕉视频直播� said Knecht. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a testament to his experience and training that he survived.香蕉视频直播�

Knecht said Chernyk has since been released from hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

香蕉视频直播淗e has stab wounds on his face and head from the knife and significant abrasions on his arms as a result of being hit by the car.香蕉视频直播�

Chernyk managed to radio in what had happened and the manhunt was on.

Police set up checkpoints and began stopping cars, leading to a second encounter hours later with the suspect, now driving a U-haul cube van, east of the stadium just after midnight.

Knecht said when the U-haul pulled over for the checkpoint, the driver produced identification linking him to the registered owner of the Malibu.

He became suspicious when police held him up, and decided to flee. The U-Haul then sped off toward Jasper Avenue, downtown Edmonton香蕉视频直播檚 main east-west thoroughfare, with multiple police cars in pursuit.

Knecht said the suspect drove in the opposite lane, almost T-boned a vehicle and purposely drove into pedestrians, injuring four.

He said the call was made to keep the high-speed pursuit through the downtown, busy with late night bar and night-club goers, because of the threat posed by the suspect.

Of the four pedestrians, two suffered head injuries including a skull fracture. Two have been released from hospital.

香蕉视频直播淭heir injuries range from broken bones to brain bleeds,香蕉视频直播� said Knecht.

He said officers used a 香蕉视频直播渢actical manoeuvre香蕉视频直播� to force the truck to crash onto its side just south of Jasper Avenue. Officers smashed through the windshield and tossed in a stun grenade to distract the driver. When he resisted, they used a stun gun to make the arrest.

香蕉视频直播淣o shots were fired. In fact, no shots were fired anywhere in this entire incident,香蕉视频直播� said Knecht.

Austin Elgie, manager of The Pint bar, saw the van zoom by with police giving chase.

The van 香蕉视频直播減eeled香蕉视频直播� into an alley where people were smoking, he said.

香蕉视频直播淭here were like 10 cop cars following him 香蕉视频直播� It was crazy. It just came around the corner, ripping. I thought at first he was pulling over for the cops coming by, but he was clearly the one they were chasing.香蕉视频直播�

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley called the attacks horrific.

香蕉视频直播淗atred has no place in Alberta. It香蕉视频直播檚 not who we are,香蕉视频直播� Notley said Sunday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also condemned the violent events as a 香蕉视频直播渢errorist attack香蕉视频直播� and a 香蕉视频直播渟enseless act of violence.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淲e cannot 香蕉视频直播� and will not 香蕉视频直播� let violent extremism take root in our communities,香蕉视频直播� he said.

In the United States, President Donald Trump香蕉视频直播檚 press secretary issued a statement saying 香蕉视频直播淟aw enforcement authorities from the United States are in touch with their Canadian counterparts to offer assistance with the ongoing investigation.香蕉视频直播�

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson urged calm and compassion.

香蕉视频直播淚t is vital now that we not succumb to hatred, that we not be intimidated by violence,香蕉视频直播� said Iveson. 香蕉视频直播淭errorism is about creating panic and about sowing divide and about disrupting people香蕉视频直播檚 lives.

香蕉视频直播淲e can succumb to that or we can rise above it.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播� With files from Jennifer Graham in Regina and Andy Blatchford in Ottawa

Dean Bennett, John Cotter, Rob Drinkwater and Chris Purdy , The Canadian Press