'Knifeman' shot dead by armed officers in Paris after trying to 'attack police'
A knifeman has been shot dead in Paris after attempting to stab a police officer, sparking a counter-terror probe.
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Emergency services attended an area close to the Arc de Triomphe in the city on Friday evening after reports that an individual had tried to attack an officer with a blade.
He was then shot three or four times in the chest and leg before being transported to the Georges Pompidou European Hospital in critical condition, according to reports.
The country's national anti-terrorism department has since launched an investigation and said the suspect, a French citizen in his 40s, died in hospital.
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According to the department, the man had previously been sentenced to 17 years behind bars for attempted murder, terror and other charges after attacking three officers in Belgium in 2012.
The suspect was heard to shout "Our women and children should not have been killed, we’ll see who triumphs under the Arc de Triomphe," Le Figaro reports.
It is believed the incident happened during a Rekindling of the Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a tradition held every day at 6pm.
The suspect, who lives in Seine-Saint-Denis, was under administrative control and subject to "surveillance measures for radicalisation," according to local media.
France's Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez said: "A man attempted to attack members of the gendarmerie with a knife, including members of the gendarmerie band who were preparing for the ceremony.
"This individual attempted to take the life of a gendarme."
No police officers were seriously injured in the incident.
One bystander called Luc, who arrived moments after the shooting, told The Sun: "In the subway, we were asked to leave the train.
"When we arrived at the scene, we immediately understood. The incident had just occurred five minutes ago, I think."