Administrator kills 4 officers at Paris police headquarters

The Associated Press

5 years ago

Armed police officers and soldiers patrol after an incident at the police headquarters after in ... — Armed police officers and soldiers patrol after an incident at the police headquarters after in Paris, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019. A French police union official says an attacker armed with a knife has killed one officer inside Paris police headquarters before he was shot and killed. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

People stand behind a police tape as they are evacuated nearby the police headquarters after an incident in Paris, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019. A French police union official says an attacker armed with a knife has killed one officer inside Paris police headquarters before he was shot and killed. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

Police officers patrol in a rubber boat on the Seine river after an incident at the police headquarters in Paris, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019. A French police union official says an attacker armed with a knife has killed one officer inside Paris police headquarters before he was shot and killed. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

Armed soldiers patrol after an incident at the police headquarters in Paris, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019. A French police union official says an attacker armed with a knife has killed one officer inside Paris police headquarters before he was shot and killed. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

PARIS — A French police union official says four police officers have died in a knife attack carried out by an administrator at the Paris police headquarters. The attacker was shot to death.

Union official Loic Travers said the attack on Thursday appears to have begun in an office and continued elsewhere inside the large compound across the street from Notre Dame Cathedral.

Travers says the motive is unknown, but the employee allegedly responsible for the violence apparently never posed any problems before.

He says he can’t remember an attack on police officers of this magnitude.

Union official Yves Lefebvre said the attack happened around 1 p.m. on Thursday at the headquarters.

It wasn’t immediately clear how far inside the building the assailant got before police shot him.

Macron goes to scene

French President Emmanuel Macron has gone to Paris police headquarters.

Macron’s office said the president wanted to show solidarity and support toward all police officers and employees.

The French prime minister, interior minister and Paris prosecutor were also on the scene.