Three officers in France killed by a gunman
Three police officers, who were responding to a call over domestic violence were shot dead in Puy-de-Dome in central France on Wednesday, sources in the public prosecutor’s office shared. The police officers were responding to a call over domestic violence and approached the house shortly after midnight and that’s when they were shot by a 48-year-old man while rescuing the women. The man initially shot and killed one officer and wounded another. Two other officers were then shot dead. A fourth officer was also injured in the shooting.
The house caught fire, police said, and the suspected gunman, who was known to law enforcement over child maintenance issues, was later found dead in his car. It was not immediately clear how he died or where the car was located. Police had previously said the man was armed and they were trying to track him down. The incident took place in a small hamlet in Saint-Just, about 500 km (310 miles) southeast of Paris.
A woman who was the reported victim of the domestic violence had sought refuge on the roof of the house and was subsequently rescued by police. Officials said the woman had been safely rescued, and that at least seven elite tactical police officers remained on site. “The greatest precautions are being taken concerning the dangerousness of the individual,” a source close to the investigation told AFP.
French President Emmanuel Macron offered condolences to the families of the dead officers. “To protect us, our forces act putting their lives at risk. They are our heroes,” Macron wrote on Twitter.
A fourth officer was wounded in the attack and his injuries were not life-threatening, the interior ministry said. Officials did not comment on the motive. France’s interior minister described the attacker as a “maniac.”
“The maniac has been found dead,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter on Wednesday morning, adding he was heading to the scene of the attack. Darmanin said a large number of security forces – including elite police officers – were deployed to the area.
By Karishma Gwalani
