EDMONTON -- A jury has entered deliberations in the trial of a man accused of going on a violent rampage in Edmonton two years ago, stabbing a police officer and hitting four people with a U-Haul truck.
Abdualhi Hasan Sharif faces 11 charges including attempted murder, aggravated assault, dangerous driving and dangerous driving causing bodily harm. He has pleaded not guilty.
A Crown prosecutor argued that Sharif aimed to cause as much chaos and destruction as he could when the attacks took place on Sept. 30, 2017.
Several of Sharif's alleged victims testified during the trial including Const. Mike Chernyk, who was stabbed multiple times, and two women who where struck by the U-Haul truck.
Sharif did not hire a lawyer and has been representing himself in court, though he hasn't cross-examined any witnesses.
A court-appointed attorney gave a closing statement to the jury on Thursday, asking them to consider that the U-Haul may just have been Sharif's simplest method of escape.
Before the jury went off to deliberate, Justice Paul R. Belzil gave instructions that lasted one hour. The 12 jurors who wil decide Sharif's fate began deliberating just before 10:30 a.m.
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk
