Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

CRIME

Man shot dead by police after knifing officer in Paris

A man has died after being shot by police when he injured a Paris officer with a knife, the state prosecution service said.

Published: 19 July 2024 08:30 CEST
Man shot dead by police after knifing officer in Paris
French gendarmes and a soldier secure the area in front of Louis Vuitton store on Paris' Champs-Elysées after a man attacked a police officer with a knife. Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP

Police said a terrorist motive was not suspected, but the violence added to tensions as Paris prepares to host the Games from July 26th.

Police shot the man after he wounded an officer near the Champs-Elysées avenue on Thursday evening, police sources told AFP.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said staff at a Louis Vuitton boutique had reported the man to be armed with a knife and had asked officers to intervene.

He said the man resisted and tried to flee, turning on the officers when they caught up with him and wounding one with the knife.

Nunez told reporters the officer was seriously injured to the neck but his life was not in danger.

He said there was no known “terrorist motive at this stage, and no link to the Olympic Games”.

A source in the préfecture said the attacker was a Senegalese national and was previously known to police.

A source in the prosecutors’ office later told AFP the man had died and added that a criminal investigation had been launched into the attack on the officer.

Near the scene of the attack, a bomb disposal truck and several police trucks were parked, an AFP journalist saw. Crime-scene tape encircled the entire area.

France is on high alert ahead of the Games with a huge security operation in the city centre ahead of next Friday’s opening ceremony.

On Wednesday evening, a motorist ploughed a car into a café terrace in northern Paris, killing one person and seriously injuring several others.

Prosecutors said the driver was committed for psychiatric treatment.

Manual widget for ML (class=”ml-manual-widget-container”)

On Monday, a soldier was stabbed in the back by a 40-year-old man at a major train station in northern Paris.

Officials said the soldier’s life was not in danger.

Thousands of security personnel locked down a six-kilometre stretch of central Paris on Thursday ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony.

Officials say 35,000 police officers and 18,000 soldiers will provide security for the Games.

More than 300,000 spectators are expected to watch the opening ceremony along the banks of the Seine.

It will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened with a ceremony outside the main athletics stadium.

National anti-terrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen on Tuesday said the Games “are not the subject of specific targeting by international terrorist organisations”.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Wednesday there was “no credible threat” against the Games at this stage.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

PARIS

Tickets and dates: All you need to know about Notre-Dame reopening

There are 100 days left before Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris will finally open its doors to visitors again. Here is what you need to know about getting tickets in advance, the reopening plans, and the status of the restoration.

Published: 30 August 2024 10:57 CEST
Tickets and dates: All you need to know about Notre-Dame reopening

August 30th marks a major milestone in the restoration of Notre-Dame in Paris, with just 100 days – or three intense months of work – remaining for the 500-plus artisans working against the clock to ensure the cathedral is ready in time.

The Cathedral has been closed to the public since it was badly damaged by fire in April 2019.

Since then, Parisians and visitors have been able to see a lot of the progress, as the outside work redefined the city’s skyline, but they have not been able to go inside.

But soon, visitors will be able to re-enter the famous cathedral. Here is what you need to know;

When exactly will the cathedral re-open?

The Cathedral is on track to re-open on time on December 8th – the Festival of the Immaculate Conception.

How can I get tickets?

Anyone planning to visit Notre-Dame after its grand reopening should be aware that, when it does throw open its doors to the public, you will need to have a pre-booked ticket to enter.

In anticipation of an estimated 15 million visitors a year, the diocese is taking steps to better manage the flow of people in the 6,000m2 of the building – which can accommodate 2,500 people at a time. 

A mobile app is due to be rolled out in the autumn, and the official website is being redesigned to allow visitors to book free tickets.

But officials are keen to point out that potential visitors do not need to rush to the website or app to book months in advance. Spaces are expected to be available probably a day or two in advance, and visitors will be able to book a visit at the cathedral itself on the day they intend to visit.

What about groups?

Be aware that admission will initially be reserved for individual visitors. Group bookings will not be possible until six months after the cathedral’s reopening, officials have said.

What is the status of the restoration work?

“We can see that we are close to the goal and that fuels our confidence that we will achieve the objective,”  Philippe Jost, president of the public institution responsible for the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris, told Le Parisien, in an interview to mark the date.

The vault of the transept crossing was completed in May, allowing work to start on finishes to the interior of the building, and the gradual removal of scaffolding from the outside. The cathedral’s renewed silhouette has been visible throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Spectacular steps” have been taken in the past six months, Jost said, including the completion of the solid oak frames above the nave and the choir, and the installation of the lead roofs.

But, he said, there are still “an incredible amount of things to do in every corner” – including restoring the flooring, connecting electrical networks and installing new liturgical furniture. In just 100 days. “There is no question of falling asleep and telling yourself that it’s in the bag,” Jost said.

What can I do in the meantime?

You can still walk around the site and read the posters explaining the restoration process, though you will not be able to enter. Photos of the fire-damaged cathedral and its restoration form an exhibition on the barriers keeping people out of the site.

Guided tours exist in the area, including one offered by Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and CASA volunteers. These tours are free and they go around the cathedral, lasting about one hour. More info for booking here.

Will there be other work in the future?

Even though Notre-Dame is reopening, the cathedral’s restoration work will continue for another four to five years. 

“The City of Paris … will be carrying out work around the cathedral, notably on the forecourt, for at least three years,” the diocese said in a press release.

Starting in 2025, the cathedral’s stone exterior will begin to be refurbished, using surplus funds from the huge pot of donations that poured in after the fire.

The plans include adding trees and vegetation to the square in front of the cathedral, as well as a small stream that will help to cool the area during hot weather. 

The space behind the cathedral will also be transformed, adding in a lawn and grassy area. Under the monument, the underground parking lot will transform into a visitor centre, offering an interior walkway that will give access to the archaeological crypt and will open up onto the Seine.

SHOW COMMENTS