The victim of what RCMP allege was terrorism on a Surrey, B.C., bus on Saturday has returned home from hospital after his throat was slashed in an attack a family member says could have easily killed him.
Abdul Aziz Kawam, who is allegedly associated with the Islamic State group, to appear in court again Wednesday
Chuck Chiang · The Canadian Press
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The victim of what RCMP allege was terrorism on a Surrey, B.C., bus on Saturday has returned home from hospital after his throat was slashed in an attack a family member says could have easily killed him.
Chris Jensen told The Canadian Press his partner’s brother suffered a knife wound stretching from the back of his neck to near his throat, just below the left side of his jaw.
He says the victim, whom he calls his brother-in-law, returned from hospital Tuesday to the home in Surrey, where he lives with Jensen and his partner.
Jensen says his brother-in-law described getting onto the bus and then turning to help a man he thought was falling before he saw the knife.
He struggled with the armed man and eventually succeeded in pushing the attacker off the bus after being wounded.
“It was a heroic act,” Jensen said. “When the guy cut his throat, he could have given up. He could have curled up and just let the guy attack somebody else. But he kept fighting, and in the end, he may have saved every person on that bus from injury.”
Abdul Aziz Kawam, who reappeared in Surrey provincial court by video on Wednesday, is charged with attempted murder, assault causing bodily harm, aggravated assault, and assault with a weapon, all in association with the terrorist group the Islamic State, commonly known as ISIS.
On Wednesday he sat impassively on a stool with his hands clasped in his lap as his lawyer, Kevin Westell, addressed Crown council and the justice. The details of the hearing is covered by a publication ban. Kawam will remain in custody until his next court appearance on April 13 at 2 p.m. PT.
Jensen says his brother-in-law suffered some vocal chord damage, but the knife did not strike any major tendons or arteries, and doctors are hopeful he can make a full recovery.
“We face the reality that it could have been worse. We know that recent stabbing victims have not been so lucky,” Jensen said.
“We know there is a lot of violence that pops [up] that randomly, and the best you can do is be vigilant.”
Transit Police told CBC News that a nurse at the hospital told them the victim only survived because the knife used in the attack was dull.
Jensen has set up a GoFundMe page for his brother-in-law, who he says is Indigenous.
He says on the page that his brother-in-law is “one of the most unassuming, kind, shy, gentle, and caring people you could ever meet.”
Jensen said his brother-in-law will not be able to perform the physical labour required at his work for at least several weeks, not taking into account the mental trauma.
“He’s able to move, but emotionally he is in another place. He may have trouble getting on the bus the next time he tries. He may not trust certain people around him because they look very much like this person.
While police had initially said the victim had life-threatening injuries, they later said that they were expected to make a full recovery.
Suspect allegedly held knife to someone else’s throat: Transit Police
Transit Police say they discovered during their investigation that Kawam, who was born in 1995, made several concerning comments, leading investigators to notify the RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, who then consulted with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada on the terrorism charges.
They say the suspect also allegedly displayed and held a knife to the throat of another individual at a bus stop about four blocks from the scene of the slashing attack. That person was able to push the assailant away and escape unharmed, police say.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
