A policeman was shot dead while two other officers were seriously injured by a Kalashnikov-wielding gunman on the Champs Elysees in central Paris last night.
The ISIS gunman, identified as 39-year-old father Karim Cheurfi - who was jailed for 20 years for trying to kill officers in 2001 - parked his Audi and opened fire after police stopped at a red light on the world famous avenue.
One traffic officer died instantly with a shot to the head, while the other two were hurt before Cheurfi himself was gunned down by nearby armed police. A ricocheting bullet fired by the terrorist also wounded a female foreign tourist passing by.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack and named the attacker as 'Abu Yousif al-Belgiki', which translates to 'the Belgian' in Arabic.
Dramatic footage captured the moment French police chased and shot at the gunman, who later died. A pump action shotgun and knives were found in the Audi he was driving, which also contained his ID - confirming to detectives that he was known to security services for a number of recent offences and had been flagged as an 'extremist'.
Officers have been searching the home of the alleged shooter in east Paris and arrested three of his family members. Cheurfi was detained last month after it emerged he was trying to buy weapons 'to kill police', but was released due to lack of evidence.
A French government spokesman said the ISIS gunman began firing against police using 'a weapon of war'.
Police have now launched a desperate manhunt for a second suspect, who travelled by train to France from Belgium.
The fatal incident unfolded as presidential candidates, including National Front party leader Marine Le Pen, debated on a TV show nearby before Sunday's election.
Via - Dailymail
What a loss. Gone too soon. May the good Lord bless your soul. Such a sad loss.
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