Police officers attacked in Cannes: three arrests in the entourage of the attacker – The HuffPost

via Associated Press

POLICE – Three people from the entourage of the perpetrator of the knife attacka police crew in front of the Cannes police station (Alpes-Maritimes) were arrested, AFP learned on Tuesday, November 9 from sources close to the case and policewoman.

“These are relatives, one of the people worked for him and another housed him,” said a police source, specifying that the assailant owned “a small masonry business”. “We are trying to understand the motivations of the perpetrator,” said this police source, confirming information from France Bleu Azur.

On Monday morning, a 37-year-old Algerian national stabbed two of the four police officers in a police vehicle, who were not injured, protected by their bullet-proof vests. The attack took place in a parking lot at the Cannes police station. The crew was preparing to go on patrol when it was attacked by the man, according to the first elements of the investigation.

An investigation has been opened for an assassination attempt by the Grasse public prosecutor’s office. The anti-terrorist prosecution did not take up the case but has an observer role at this stage.

“No element of radicalization”

If “the first investigations reveal, that once immobilized on the ground and questioned by a police officer on the motive of his act, the assailant would have replied: ‘for the prophet’”, as specified by the prosecution, the terrorist track n is not confirmed. The search carried out at the home of the aggressor on Monday “did not highlight any element of radicalization or membership in a jihadist organization”, adds the prosecution.

According to the Grasse public prosecutor’s office, the attacker was finally “neutralized” by a third police officer who fired. A fourth policeman in the cockpit fired through the window of the vehicle.

“Reached twice”, the attacker was transported to the Nice hospital center and taken care of by a surgical team. His life-threatening prognosis was no longer engaged on Monday evening, said the Grasse prosecutor’s office, which is responsible for the investigation.

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