Calgary police have arrested a man who was armed with a knife, who interrupted noon prayers at a mosque in the northeast.

Friday’s Jumma prayers were interrupted at a Calgary mosque by a man brandishing a knife.

“About 10 minutes into it, I heard a noise in the back,” Osman told Global News. “It was a man swinging a knife at people in the prayers.”

“So I went, moved everybody out of the way, tried to calm him down, took a few minutes to try to calm him down.” Attendee Zouhair Osman.

Police used non Lethal rounds

The Calgary Police Service responded immediately after receiving a call shortly after noon about the incident.

While taking the man into custody, witnesses and CPS said officers used their less-lethal ARWEN launcher, which can fire 37-mm plastic, wood or foam rounds, along with tear gas and smoke.

Saima Jamal said she had just parked and was walking towards the mosque when she witnessed police running inside with guns.

“I ran near the mosque window because I was too scared to go in,” said Jamal. “Within 10 minutes, they came out with this guy … it was very, very scary. My heart was just thumping in my chest.”

Jamal said the man, whom she described as fair-skinned with a long beard, lost his temper before the congregational prayer began.

He pulled a knife on people inside the building but was escorted to the back of a police vehicle by officers shortly after, she said.

Calgary police have arrested a man who was armed with a knife, who interrupted noon prayers at a mosque in the northeast.

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