Edmonton Police Services (EPS) Const. Mike Chernyk is being hailed as a hero after he was rammed by a car and stabbed several times in a terrorist attack in the city Saturday night, but still managed to fight off his assailant, while preventing him from seizing his service weapon.
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Video of the incident shows Const. Chernyk being thrown five metres into the air by the impact of the car attack. The suspect, who police later revealed is a Somali refugee, then emerged from the car and stabbed the 11-year EPS veteran several times with a large knife.
The pair are seen wrestling on the ground for a few moments before the suspect flees on foot.
He was later apprehended just west of the downtown core after a police chase, during which he intentionally hit and injured four pedestrians with his rented U-Haul truck, police said.
Chernyk was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, but has since been released from hospital. He suffered stab wounds to the face and head, as well as significant abrasions on his arms, but is expected to make a full recovery, Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht said.
“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. “It’s a testament to his experience and training that he survived the confrontation.”
Early Sunday morning, Edmonton police published a Facebook post thanking the public for their support.
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