French police shoot Syrian man "painting swastikas" at train station
A man of Syrian descent has been shot by police while allegedly painting swastikas at a train station in Paris, according to reports from French media. Read Full Article at RT.com
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Officers opened fire after the man brandished a gun that was later found to be fake.
French police shot and seriously wounded a man who pointed a fake gun at officers after being caught spray-painting swastikas at a Paris train station, local media reported on Monday. A bystander was also injured in the incident, which took place at the Austerlitz station in the French capital.
According to reports citing the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, police approached the man after receiving complaints about his vandalism inside the station. When asked to stop, he reached into his jacket and brandished a gun, as indicated by video surveillance footage. The railway officers responded by firing “several” bullets at him, striking him in the abdomen.
The suspect, a 49-year-old of Syrian descent, was transported to the hospital in critical condition. He was later declared “brain dead” around 7pm local time, as reported by Le Parisien, citing authorities. Additional information about the individual has yet to be made public.
A bullet fired by the railway officers ricocheted and hit a taxi driver who was inside the station. The driver sustained a foot injury and was hospitalized, but his condition is stable.
The man’s gun was determined to be fake; however, the Prosecutor’s Office stated that this was unknown to the officers at the time of the shooting. Two investigations have been initiated: one will evaluate the officers’ response, while the other will examine the suspect's actions.
The Austerlitz station was closed to the public for several hours following the incident, causing disruptions to train traffic as police and counter-terrorism Vigipirate officers worked at the scene.
France has been under maximum terrorism alert since last year. Olivier Christen, the French national antiterrorism prosecutor, stated in December that over 600 investigations into suspected terror plots had been initiated in 2024, nearly double the number from 2023, with nine planned attacks thwarted.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
French police shot and seriously wounded a man who pointed a fake gun at officers after being caught spray-painting swastikas at a Paris train station, local media reported on Monday. A bystander was also injured in the incident, which took place at the Austerlitz station in the French capital.
According to reports citing the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, police approached the man after receiving complaints about his vandalism inside the station. When asked to stop, he reached into his jacket and brandished a gun, as indicated by video surveillance footage. The railway officers responded by firing “several” bullets at him, striking him in the abdomen.
The suspect, a 49-year-old of Syrian descent, was transported to the hospital in critical condition. He was later declared “brain dead” around 7pm local time, as reported by Le Parisien, citing authorities. Additional information about the individual has yet to be made public.
A bullet fired by the railway officers ricocheted and hit a taxi driver who was inside the station. The driver sustained a foot injury and was hospitalized, but his condition is stable.
The man’s gun was determined to be fake; however, the Prosecutor’s Office stated that this was unknown to the officers at the time of the shooting. Two investigations have been initiated: one will evaluate the officers’ response, while the other will examine the suspect's actions.
The Austerlitz station was closed to the public for several hours following the incident, causing disruptions to train traffic as police and counter-terrorism Vigipirate officers worked at the scene.
France has been under maximum terrorism alert since last year. Olivier Christen, the French national antiterrorism prosecutor, stated in December that over 600 investigations into suspected terror plots had been initiated in 2024, nearly double the number from 2023, with nine planned attacks thwarted.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
