Officer slashed with knife by man who ran through airport security: RCMP

Charges have now been laid after a man barged through security at the Edmonton International Airport on Saturday.

Police initially said that the man was brandishing a knife when he ran through security around 8:30 a.m.

Mounties now say the man rushed through security unarmed, and ran into a nearby Chili's restaurant where he armed himself with a piece of cutlery.

Police arrested a Fort McMurray man in the Edmonton International Airport on Sept. 24, 2022. (Source: Shehryar Aziz)

Airport security called police when the man was in the restaurant.

“Around 8:30 a.m. security at the airport identified male who went through security at a high rate of speed and missed checkpoints,” Cpl. Troy Savinkoff told CTV News Edmonton.

“Security followed him to a restaurant and watched him and called RCMP.”

RCMP arrived and an altercation ensued when an officer attempted to arrest the man.

Savinkoff confirms the officer was slashed with the knife. The officer was taken to hospital by EMS in stable condition, but has since been released.

A second officer suffered minor injuries but was not hospitalized.

The assailant was also taken to hospital with minor injuries, and was released into police custody.

A 37-year-old Fort McMurray man has now been charged with aggravated assault, assault on peace officer, assault, resist arrest, two counts of mischief, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

He remains in custody and will appear in Leduc Provincial Court on Sept. 28.

Police do not know why the man was at the airport or what his motivations were, but there is no indication this was a terrorist incident.

Savinkoff says the officer who was injured is based at the airport.