A police officer was wounded in a knife attack in Paris on Thursday in the high-end Champs-Elysees neighborhood, with the assailant being shot and injured, authorities confirmed. The incident occurred just days before the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez stated that the attack did not seem to be linked to the Olympics, and no terrorist motive was suspected.
The French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin mentioned that the attack took place in the 8th arrondissement of Paris while police were responding to a call from officers securing a store. The assailant reportedly pulled out a knife and threatened the officers, managing to stab one of them before being subdued.
The officer's condition was not immediately known, while the 27-year-old assailant, a foreigner with residency papers, sustained serious injuries. Darmanin confirmed that the attacker was 'neutralized,' with police preventing further harm.
The incident unfolded near the flagship Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysees, a bustling area frequented by tourists and locals. Security agents at Louis Vuitton alerted police after observing suspicious behavior by the assailant outside the store. The attack occurred on a street adjacent to the Champs-Elysees, not directly on the famous avenue.
This knife attack follows a recent incident where a man stabbed and wounded a French soldier patrolling Paris outside the Gare de l’Est train station. The heightened security alert in France, ahead of the Paris Games scheduled to commence on July 26, has led to increased vigilance and security measures in the city center.
Paris police have implemented stringent security protocols to prepare for the unique open-air opening ceremony along the Seine River, departing from the traditional closed stadium setting. Darmanin continues to oversee security measures in his interim role at the interior ministry until a new government is formed post the recent legislative election.
