A gunman killed three police officers who were called to a domestic violence incident in central France.
The gunman, 48, who was known to authorities for child custody issues, was later found dead.
A woman fled to the roof of a house in a remote village near Saint-Just in the early hours.
The gunman shot dead one officer and wounded another. He then set the house on fire and killed two other officers. The woman was rescued.
President Emmanuel Macron said that the nation shared the grief of the families of the police officers.
Elite tactical police officers remain at the scene in the village in the Puy-de-Dôme department, in France’s Massif Central mountain region.
The mayor of Saint-Just, François Chautard, told Le Figaro that the house was burned down and officers had been trying to determine whether the heavily armed suspect was still inside or had escaped.
But Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin later confirmed the suspect was found dead.
Mr. Darmanin, who later travelled to the scene, named the first officer who died as Brigadier Arno Mavel, 21, and the two who died in the second incident as Lutenant Cyrille Morel, 45, and Adjutant Rémi Dupuis, 37.
Mr. Darmanin expressed his sadness at the deaths and extended his condolences to the family, friends and colleagues in the Gendarmerie. He said the deaths showed once more the risks that police officers were exposed to in their daily duties.
In his tweet, President Macron said the security forces put their lives at risk to protect the public and were “our heroes”:
Prime Minister Jean Castex said the tragedy touched the whole country. He said he shared the grief of the officers’ relatives and sent his support:
The wounded officer was shot in the leg and is not in danger.
Source:BBC
