Friday’s noon prayers were interrupted at a northeast Calgary mosque by a man brandishing a knife. Attendee Zouhair Osman said prayers got underway just before noon.
“About 10 minutes into it, I heard a noise in the back,” Osman told Global News. “It was a man swinging a knife at people in the prayers.”
“So I went, moved everybody out of the way, tried to calm him down, took a few minutes to try to calm him down.
“He wouldn’t calm down, he kept swinging the knife at us — especially me.”
Police said they responded to the Akram Jomaa Islamic Centre on 37 Ave N.E. after receiving a call around 12:10 p.m. to try to apprehend the man.
The man was arrested and taken to hospital with minor injuries.
While taking the man into custody, witnesses and CPS said officers used their less-lethal ARWEN launcher, which can fire 37-mm plastic, wood or foam rounds, along with tear gas and smoke.
Osman said he didn’t know the man, “but he’s someone I’ve seen here before.”
“It sounds like he snapped,” Osman said.
CPS said there were no injuries as a result of the incident and they are not investigating it as a hate crime.