Man guilty of attempting to murder Edmonton police officer, 4 pedestrians

EDMONTON — A man who struck a police officer with a car before stabbing him multiple times outside an Edmonton football game has been found guilty of attempted murder.

Jurors have also convicted Abdulahi Hasan Sharif of attempting to murder four pedestrians he hit with a van during a police chase in the city’s downtown on Sept. 30, 2017.

“We want to thank the jury members for the time and attention that they paid to this case,” Edmonton’s chief Crown prosecutor Shelley Bykewich said outside court Friday. “They had a very difficult task and a significant amount of evidence to go through the past three weeks.”

One male juror appeared upset, wiping away tears as the verdict was read.

Sharif, 32, was also found guilty of aggravated assault against the officer, criminal flight causing bodily harm against the pedestrians and dangerous driving. He was not represented by a lawyer and pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges.

Greg Lazin, a lawyer who was appointed by the court to help Sharif, said it was one of his most difficult trials in 37 years.

“My role was not to act for Mr. Sharif but to attempt to provide a sense of balance,” he said. “It is extremely difficult to be completely neutral in any kind of file.”

The three-week trial heard from about 40 Crown witnesses. Sharif declined to call any witnesses and did not testify in his own defence.

Lazin said he has been involved in cases where an accused refuses to participate in the trial or the sentencing.

“I have not been involved in a case where there has been this level of non-participation,” he said.

During the trial, Sharif didn’t ask for Lazin’s help and showed little emotion as Crown witnesses took the stand.

Const. Mike Chernyk testified that he was on traffic duty outside an Edmonton Eskimos football game when he was struck by a car. He next remembered a man on top of him, stabbing him in the head with a knife.

A woman and her boyfriend who were walking their dogs near the stadium said they heard a car rev its engine before it rammed into a barricade and the police officer.

It’s alleged that after attacking the officer, Sharif struck and injured four pedestrians as he drove a speeding U-Haul van through Edmonton’s downtown.

Those four victims — Jack Zubick, Paul Biegal, Jordan Stewardson and Kimberley O’Hara — told court about being hit and how they coped with broken bones, anxiety and depression.

O’Hara was in the courtroom for the verdict Friday, but declined to comment.

The jury also heard from an undercover police officer who testified that Sharif detailed the attack in a holding cell the next morning.

“Mr. Sharif advised that he did something really bad … that last night was like a dream,” said the Mountie.

He said Sharif went on to detail the attack on Chernyk and how, as Sharif fled from police in the van, he hit several pedestrians.

The Crown argued during its closing statement Wednesday that Sharif went to extraordinary lengths to cause as much chaos and destruction as possible.

Sentencing arguments are to be heard on Dec. 12 and 13.

Sharif has also declined to participate in a pre-sentencing report, which can help judges determine punishment.

Colette Derworiz, The Canadian Press