Police officer cordon off the scene after a stabbing near the Champs-Elysees avenue, Thursday, July 18, 2024 in Paris. (AP)
A
police officer
was wounded in a knife attack in Paris' high-end
Champs-Elysees neighborhood
on Thursday. The assailant was shot and died of his injuries, according to authorities, just days before the
Summer Olympics
opening ceremony.
Paris police chief
Laurent Nunez
said the attack did not appear linked to the Olympics and no terrorist motive was suspected.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin
posted on X that the attack occurred in the 8th arrondissement while police were responding to a call from officers securing a store.
Security agents
at the flagship
Louis Vuitton store
had noticed “suspicious behavior” by a man outside the store and contacted police.
Speaking at the scene, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said the assailant "pulled out a knife and threatened the officers, tried to stab them multiple times, and succeeded in stabbing."
Nunez defended the police response as “totally proportionate," saying the officers' lives were threatened. The suspect died of his injuries after being shot, the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed. An investigation was opened into attempted murder of a police officer. The wounded officer was hospitalized but not in life-threatening condition.
The area, busy with tourists and locals, saw police cordon off the site as some people took photos and others continued dining in nearby cafes. Police reinforcements rushed in after the stabbing, and guests at a nearby luxury hotel had to pass under police tape to enter.
The Louis Vuitton store, a major attraction on the Champs-Elysees, often has long lines outside. The parent company, LVMH, did not comment on the incident.
Thursday's attack follows another knife incident on Monday, where a man stabbed and wounded a French soldier patrolling near Gare de l'Est train station. The attacker was taken to a psychiatric hospital.
France is under its highest security alert ahead of the Paris Games starting July 26. Strict new security measures were imposed in central Paris starting Thursday to prepare for the exceptional opening ceremony along the Seine River.
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