Paris Knife Attack: Attacker Who Killed 4 Officers Allegedly Worked In Police Intelligence Unit

A man working at police headquarters in central Paris was shot dead after injuring two people there, sparking a major security alert AFP / Benjamin LEGENDRE

Four French police officers died in an attack by a knife-wielding man at Paris police headquarters Thursday.

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told reporters the suspect was an employee in the building, describing him as a 45-year-old IT specialist assigned to the building’s intelligence unit. He also said there were no warning signs of the impending attack.

“On the face of it, he looked a model employee,” Castaner said, BBC News reported.

The attack occurred around 1 p.m. The suspect attacked three people in two offices, and then attacked two women in a nearby stairwell before moving to the building’s courtyard.

Officers outside the building set up a perimeter, evacuating other officers and employees until the situation was resolved. An officer fired several gunshots, killing the assailant.

Three men and one woman were declared dead at the scene while a fifth victim was rushed to a nearby hospital with critical injuries and taken into surgery. The surrounding area remained on lockdown until investigators and emergency responders finished at the scene.

“I do not think this is a terrorist act,” police union official Christophe Crepin told Franceinfo Radio.

The attack comes after police strikes Wednesday where thousands of officers demonstrated in Paris for better work hours, pension reforms, and more resources.