Canadian Soldier Killed By Suspected Islamic Militant

A car is overturned in the ditch in a cordoned off area in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec on Monday Oct. 20, 2014. One of two soldiers hit by a car died of his injuries early Tuesday, according to Quebec provincial ... A car is overturned in the ditch in a cordoned off area in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec on Monday Oct. 20, 2014. One of two soldiers hit by a car died of his injuries early Tuesday, according to Quebec provincial police. Provincial police say the man sped off in his car after hitting the two soldiers in the parking lot of a shopping mall, starting a chase that ended with the man losing control and his car rolling over several times. The driver died from police gunfire. The second soldier's injuries are described as less serious. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Pascal Marchand) MORE LESS
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SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU, Quebec (AP) — A man who killed one member of the Canadian military and injured another with his car before being shot dead by police was inspired by terrorist ideology, officials said Tuesday.

Quebec Police spokesman Guy Lapointe said the act was deliberate and that one of the two soldiers was in uniform. Lapointe said there were no other suspects at this time.

Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney called the attack a “terrible act of violence against our country, against our military and against our values” and “clearly linked to terrorist ideology.”

An official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the case said the suspect was 25-year-old Martin Couture Rouleau.

Neighbors said Rouleau was a recent convert to Islam.

Blaney and police declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

There was no answer at Rouleau’s single story white brick home in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, on Tuesday morning, and no sign of police.

Neighbor Daniel Fortin said he had known Rouleau, who lived with his father, since he was a child.

Fortin said over the past year or so, Rouleau grew out his beard and began wearing loose-fitting Muslim clothing but that he never felt threatened by him.

Fortin said Roleau’s father was worried as he became increasingly radicalized and “tried everything,” to help him.

Another neighbor, who declined to be named, said she didn’t know the family well but saw police visit the home on more than one occasion over the past few months.

Lapointe said the suspect was sitting in his car in the parking lot outside a veterans’ support center for at least two hours before the hit and run.

He said a police officer on patrol witnessed what happened and immediately gave chase.

The suspect was pursued by police for about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) before he lost control of the car, which rolled over several times.

Lapointe said the man was brandishing a knife when he emerged from the vehicle. Police then opened fire.

Lapointe said they will wait until family is informed before they release the name of the dead military member. He said the other victim is in stable condition with minor injuries.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was briefed about the incident.

“I learned with shock and sadness yesterday that two Canadian Armed Forces members from Canadian Forces Base Saint-Jean Garrison were hit by a man who, according to our national security services, had become radicalized,” Harper said in a statement Tuesday.

The case is similar to one in London last year in which an al-Qaida-inspired extremist and another man ran over a soldier with a car before hacking the off-duty soldier to death.

Images of Michael Adebolajo, 29, holding a butcher knife and cleaver with bloodied hands in the moments after the May 2013 killing of Fusilier Lee Rigby shocked people around the world and sparked fears of Islamist terrorism in Britain.

The Islamic State group has urged supporters to carry out attacks against Western countries, including Canada, that are participating in the U.S.-led coalition fighting the militants who have taken over large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria. Six Canadian fighter jets are set to depart for the region soon. It was not known whether the suspect in the Quebec attack had any ties to Islamic militant groups.

____

Gillies contributed from Toronto. Sean Farrell in Montreal also contributed to this report.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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