French police have confirmed an “attempted attack” on the Champs-Élysées, Paris Monday afternoon after a car rammed a police vehicle and reportedly exploded.
The suspect, who was armed with a firearm, is reported to have died in the incident and it was reported that police “downed” the individual, a known extremist. There were no other injuries or fatalities to police or the public, a statement released through the Parisian Police official Twitter account stated.
French bomb disposal units were dispatched to the scene and to examine the vehicle involved in the collision, and counter-terror police are leading the investigation. Officers discovered a gas canister and firearms in the vehicle, according to reports.
Une nouvelle fois nos forces de sécurité ont été visées. La menace est extrêmement élevée.#ChampsElysées pic.twitter.com/rpxUaTlK1c
— Gérard Collomb (@gerardcollomb) June 19, 2017
France’s Le Figaro reports the 31-year-old suspect was carrying a Glock-type handgun and that the act was likely deliberate.
Paris police have instructed members of the public to avoid the area.
A central Paris boulevard connecting to the Arc de Triomphe landmark, the Champs-Élysées is the site of an April terror attack in which a police officer was shot dead at point-blank range by an Islamist killer.
🔴 #ChampsElysées Intervention en cours des services de police. Évitez le secteur
— Préfecture de police (@prefpolice) June 19, 2017
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