Paris officer fighting for life after police station shooting

Laurent Nunez of Paris police says officer responded to 'extremely violent attack' on seriously injured woman

PARIS:

One of two officers shot and seriously wounded at a police station in Paris was fighting for his life Friday, the police chief of the French capital said.

On Thursday night, a man arrested for allegedly attacking a woman with a box cutter seriously wounded the pair in the French capital's 13th district after grabbing one of their weapons.

Shootings in police stations in France are very rare.

"His life is still in danger," Paris police prefect Laurent Nunez told broadcaster France Info.

Nunez said the officers had responded to an "extremely violent attack" on a woman who was seriously injured.

"The man was obviously very agitated", Nunez said.

The policemen took him to the police station and had him blow into a breathalyser when the attacker grabbed one of the weapons, said Nunez.

The prosecutor's office said three investigations had been launched - including "the attempted murder of the woman" and the "attempted murder of persons holding public authority."

Nunez did not provide any information about the attacker.

Police do not know whether the man knew the woman he had attacked, adding that the police officers called to the scene had to break down the door of the flat, he said.

The suspect was wounded by return fire and hospitalised. His life is not in danger, according to prosecutors.