Paris police officer sustained critical injuries in a stabbing incident in the central area of France’s capital, just days prior to the commencement of the 2024 Olympic Games.
According to a statement of the French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin posted on X (previously known as Twitter), the attack took place in the upscale shopping area of Champs Elysees while the officer was attending to a call from security staff at a store.
Paris Police Chief, Laurent Nunez, said that a guard at a Louis Vuitton boutique alerted the police upon seeing a man who seemed to be in possession of a knife.
Nunez told the reporters gathered outside the store, that the attacker brandished a knife, made threats towards the officers, attempted to stab them on several occasions, and managed to successfully stab them.
Wounded police officer was transported to the hospital in critical condition, but his injuries were not life-threatening. The attacker was shot in the abdomen and succumbed to his wounds, as confirmed by the Paris prosecutor’s office. Reports from the media indicate that the suspect was 27 years old and of Senegalese nationality.
The latest attack comes shortly after a man stabbed a soldier patrolling the streets outside Paris train station. The attacker was subsequently taken to a psychiatric hospital, according to French prosecutors.
With the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, scheduled to begin on July 26, France is currently on the highest security alert in anticipation of hosting millions of visitors.
Paris police implemented stringent security protocols in the heart of the capital in anticipation of the Olympics opening ceremony, which is scheduled to take place along the Seine River rather than in an enclosed stadium.
