Attack of a gendarme: “There is nothing to allow a terrorist track to be considered,” according to the Toulouse prosecutor’s office
The prosecution at the court confirms the assault on a 54-year-old gendarme assigned to the Villefranche-de-Lauragais brigade. The prosecution already rules out any link with terrorism.
Has the prosecution opened an investigation following the assault of a gendarme Thursday evening in Villefranche-de-Lauragais?
Of course. An investigation has been opened on the counts of attempted homicide on the person holding public authority. These investigations were jointly entrusted to the research section of Toulouse and to the research brigade of the Toulouse-Saint-Michel company. At the same time, and as is customary, an administrative investigation was opened into the opening of fire by the gendarme.
What happened Thursday night?
With a colleague, this gendarme returned to the Villefranche-de-Lauragais brigade after a deferral to the prosecution, which was followed by incarceration at the Seysses remand center. The two soldiers joined their brigade around 11:10 p.m. They put down their things. On returning home, the gendarme noticed that he had forgotten his phone in the service vehicle. He therefore returned to the brigade to take the keys while his colleague was returning home.
He was therefore assaulted in the car.
This is what he explained to his colleagues in charge of the investigation who called him early this Friday, at the hospital. As he leaned into the cabin of the vehicle, he felt a blow to the back of his head. He turned around and saw a tall man who was holding a knife. This individual fled in the direction of the garages and the gendarme opened fire, a priori without touching his attacker.
Was the soldier injured?
Yes, he suffers from cuts to his hand and left arm, a priori superficial, but we have not yet received feedback from the forensic pathologist. He also bears traces of bruises, at least slashes, on the back of his head.
After what happened Monday in Cannes, where two police officers were injured, is the terrorist hypothesis mentioned?
At this point no. No words and no element allow us to consider a terrorist trail. The specialized prosecution is also not seized. At this stage of the investigation, all hypotheses other than terrorists remain possible.