Police officer hit by car and stabbed during Edmonton attack is back on job

The Edmonton police officer who was run down and then stabbed during an attack that also injured four other people on Sept. 30 is back on the job.

Const. Mike Chernyk, 48, had been handling crowd control at a Canadian Football League game at Commonwealth Stadium when he was hit by a speeding car that rammed through a barrier and sent him flying five metres through the air.

The driver then got out, pulled out a large knife and began stabbing the 10-year veteran, who fought back as he was lying on the ground.

Chernyk suffered stab wounds to the face and the head but was released from hospital relatively quickly.

Over the last couple of weeks, he has been honoured at both CFL and National Hockey League games in the city and returned to work Thursday.

Police Chief Rod Knecht credited the officer’s recovery to his being “a real resilient individual.”

“I know he asked to work the Eskimos game on Saturday night,” Knecht told reporters. “He’s back to work and doing well. He did a great job.”

Hours after Chernyk was injured, a driver of a cube van with police cars in pursuit drove down Jasper Avenue and hit four pedestrians.

Knecht said he has recently met with the last of the four to remain in hospital, Kim O’Hara, who suffered a skull fracture.

He said her family is optimistic about her progress.

“I visited her personally and she is in a recovery stage,” he said. “The family says tremendous improvement over a short period of time.”

Abdulahi Hasan Sharif, a 30-year-old Somali refugee, is facing 11 charges including attempted murder, dangerous driving, criminal flight causing bodily harm and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Police said an Islamic state flag was found in Sharif’s vehicle. Police initially said that terrorism charges were expected but so far none has been laid.

-CP