PARIS, France: A man, initially arrested for allegedly attacking a woman with a box cutter, shot and seriously wounded two officers in a Paris police station on Thursday after seizing one of their weapons.
The incident occurred in the French capital’s 13th district shortly before 10:30 pm (2030 GMT), with one officer sustaining life-threatening injuries, according to a source close to the case. The Paris public prosecutor’s office later confirmed the account.
Paris police chief Laurent Nunez, accompanied by prosecutor Laure Beccuau, arrived at the scene around midnight. Nunez informed reporters that the suspect, arrested around 10:00 pm for a violent attack on a woman, turned violent during processing at the police station, snatching a weapon and inflicting serious injuries on two officers.
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All three individuals involved were promptly transported to the hospital, with the suspect sustaining serious wounds from return fire. Nunez commended the station staff’s courage and swift response to the situation.
To ascertain the circumstances underlying the tragedy, an inquiry is currently underway. The prosecutor’s office disclosed that three investigations had been initiated: one into the attempted murder of the woman, another into the attempted murder of the officers, and a third by the national police’s internal affairs department to examine the use of force by the officers.
While the suspect was hospitalized with a chest wound, his life was deemed not to be in danger. The ongoing investigations aim to clarify the events’ circumstances, the suspect’s identity, and any potential connections to the female victim.
