Today, June 6, at about 16:20 local time, on the square near one of the most famous landmarks in the world – Notre Dame de Paris – a man armed with a hammer attacked three law enforcement officers. He approached him from behind and tried to stab one of the officers with a hammer.
But not in time: the second officer opened fire on the attackers, and then urgently taken to the hospital. He was wounded in the chest, and doctors have described his condition as very heavy.
In addition to hammer, the police seized from him two kitchen knife.
As reports France Info, hammer attacker lightly touched the head of one of the police officers, but the injury is not threatening his life. The officer also was taken to the hospital.
Not hurt other people quickly evacuated from the area. They were hiding in the nearby shops and restaurants.
As measures of the security police ordered everyone who was inside the Cathedral (about 900 people), not to leave the room and locked the door.
Locked inside #notre dame cathedral in #paris while police investigate attack against a policeman outside. All calm pic.twitter.com/Z4B8wUzPTV
— Nancy Soderberg (@nancysoderberg) June 6, 2017
«Locked inside the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, while outside police are investigating an assault on a police officer. All is calm».
Police asking everyone to raise their hands in the church pic.twitter.com/y5KkyWqdWK
Matthew CurrieHolmes (@mch2k) June 6, 2017
«Police are asking everyone in Church to raise their hands.»
The Minister of internal Affairs of France Gerard Collon, who arrived at the scene, said the attacker has found the ID card and if the data in it are correct, it was the Algerian student. Soon it also became known that he threatened passers-by and shouted a sentence: “This is for Syria.”
Paris police said that the situation is “under control”.
Parvis de #notreDame entièrement bouclé: un camion du SAMU quitte les lieux pic.twitter.com/omxgfLWjp1
— David Perrotin (@davidperrotin) June 6, 2017
Soon all visitors to Notre Dame out of the building.
Anti-terrorist unit of the French Prosecutor’s office has begun its investigation into the matter.
At the moment it is already known that attacking the police was a 40-year-old Algerian, who lives in the Department of Val d’oise in the North of France. He has a residence permit, and previously it was not known to French police and intelligence services.
