'A game changer': Chief takes us inside police headquarters the night Edmonton was attacked

Police chief Rod Knechtwas in the stands at Commonwealth Stadium that Saturday in September when he first learned an officerhad been hit by a car on the street outside.

He was concerned, but not alarmed.

Twenty minutes later, he was sent another message with more information.

"We had a police officer attacked, and stabbed and he's down," Knechtrecalled this week. "We've got a dog out and we're tracking the individual."

Knecht immediately left the stadium.

"As I'm driving, I get a phone call. And I'm told that one of the media outlets is broadcasting there was an ISIS flag on the scene.

"That's a bit of a game changer."

In a wide-ranging year-end interview, Knechttalked in detail about a shocking series of events that unfolded on Sept. 30, when Const.MikeChernykwas stabbed outside a football game and four pedestrians were struck by a U-Haul van.

• Edmonton police investigate 'acts of terrorism' after officer stabbed, pedestrians run down

• Man charged with 5 counts of attempted murder for Edmonton attacks

It took about 45 minutes, that evening, for an officer to confirm the presence of the ISIS flag, Knecht said. He immediately decided to alert the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team.

"That's when I reach out to the INSET team and say, we're having a briefing down here," he recalled. "I think you should be involved in this."

Decision to investigate as terrorist incident

The highest ranking city police officers gathered around a long table in the executive boardroom that night, discussing the attack at Commonwealth Stadium.

Just before midnight, the other shoe dropped.

A white U-Haul cube van was pulled over at a checkstop, and the officer linked the driver to the Commonwealth Stadium attack.

The U-Haul sped off toward downtown Edmonton, where streets were filled with Saturday night bar crowds and football fans.

The sense of alarm rose in the boardroom.

"So the concern is, now this vehicle is heading down into this area," Knecht said. "What's in it? You're thinking the worst. This becomes a guesstimate. What's in the back of that thing? Nothing? Everything.

"When do you stop it, and how do you stop it?"

As events unfolded on the front lines, high-ranking officers couldn't help but think of terrorist events in other cities where vehicles were used as weapons.

"We're seeing some similarities there," Knecht said. "So I guess if it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck, chances are it's looking a lot like a duck.

"The head of INSET is in the room, as wellas the senior official with the RCMP."

They reached a decision.

"We're investigating this as a terrorist incident, and we kick it off from there."

'Textbook' takedown

The next day, Knecht finally had a chance to listen to the taped radio conversationsof officers involved in the chase and takedown of the U-Haul driver.

• Emergency radio transmissions offer chilling glimpse into Edmonton attacks, police pursuit

He said he couldn't believe how calm the officers sounded.

"I was amazed," he said. "They all deserve extreme credit. And they did it textbook. They did it exactly how they were trained. And where they weren't trained, their experience and their intuition and their professionalism came through in spades.

"They really had their act together. Probably the most challenging of circumstances as a police officer, and yet it was like they were having a conversation over a cup of coffee."

The tape was later leaked online. Knecht said he has no idea how that happened.

But with a smile, he called the calm after that terrifying Saturday night his best memory of 2017.

"The proudest moment I had was, I think, around one o'clock in the afternoon," Knecht said. "I had sat down with Mike Chernyk and his parents. And I had listened to that audio and I had looked at the entirety of the investigation. Nobody got killed. Somebody got seriously injured, but nobody got killed.

"And I said, 'That was a good day.' "