Montreal police say one of their officers was taken to hospital with stab wounds after the officer was attacked while chasing after a suspect. A police cruiser is shown in Montreal, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Montreal's police chief says a police officer stabbed on the job Wednesday was attempting to speak to a man with mental health issues when he was suddenly attacked.

The constable with two years' experience was taken to hospital with stab wounds, but his life was not considered to be in danger, Chief Fady Dagher told reporters.

He said he had spoken to the officer, who had family by his side and was to undergo surgery later in the day.

Dagher confirmed the suspect, a man in his mid-30s, had been seen taking photos a day earlier near a daycare in the city's Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood and that multiple residents had called police about it. Officers returned Wednesday and saw the man and tried to stop him.

Dagher said the suspect in the case had been scheduled to meet with a psychiatrist but that appointment hadn't yet taken place.

"It's really a mental health issue," Dagher told reporters. "It (the appointment) wasn't done in time, and it's our police officer who faced the consequences."

Earlier, Const. Mariane Allaire Morin, a police spokeswoman, said the officer was stabbed while chasing a suspect.

"There was a police pursuit on foot," Allaire Morin said, adding that when the officer caught up, the man allegedly turned and stabbed him. The suspect was arrested not far from where the stabbing occurred. The officer's partner had to be treated for shock.

Dagher said the officers were not aware the man was armed when they tried to speak to him. "Even the police officer was surprised, he only wanted to talk to him, and he was stabbed," Dagher said.

Police established a perimeter near the intersection where the incident took place.

Dagher said he addressed officers over police radio on Wednesday after what was the third attack against an officer in less than a week. He said he reminded them to be careful, that even a regular call can be dangerous.

On Saturday, a police officer was struck by a vehicle in eastern Montreal when responding to a report of a car theft, and earlier Wednesday, another officer was allegedly threatened while arresting a 24-year-old man armed with a knife.

Dagher said the recent incidents serve as a reminder that policing is an honourable but dangerous profession.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2023.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2023