A man armed with a knife has been shot dead at Arc de Triomphe in Paris after attempting to attack a police officer.
France’s national anti-terrorism department, which has launched a probe, said the suspect, a French citizen in his 40s, had died from his wounds in hospital.
The suspect had been sentenced to 17 years behind bars for attempted murder, terror and other charges after attacking three officers in Belgium in 2012, the office said.
It is believed the individual tried to launch an assault with a blade on an officer near the famed Parisienne monument this evening.
The incident happened during a Rekindling of the Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a daily event held at 6pm, Le Figaro reported.
A second officer, who was also at the scene, opened fire and shot four times, with three striking the man in the leg and the torso.
Video footage has since emerged online showing a man circled by officers before being subdued. He later appeared to be leaning against a police van.
The suspect was hospitalised and in critical condition before his death, Le Parisien reported. His identity as well as his motives remain unclear.
A cordon has been put in place on Champs-Élysées Avenue, with the nearby Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile station closed due to ‘security measures’.
French police cordon off a street in Paris on February 13, following an incident involving a man armed with a knife
A video has emerged online of officers confronting the suspect near the Arc de Triomphe
A police officer stands guard as a cordon is placed after a man armed with a knife launched an attack on a gendarme
More scenes this evening from Arc de Triomphe tonight. The suspect’s motive and identity remain unclear
A second officer, who was also at the scene, opened fire and shot four times, with three striking the man in the leg and the torso (Pictured: Another officer at the cordoned scene)
A gendarme is said to have sustained minor injuries (Pictured: Armed law enforcement stand guard in Paris on February 13)
Luc, a bystander who arrived mere minutes after the incident, told The Sun: In the subway, we were asked to leave the train,’
‘When we arrived at the scene, we immediately understood. The incident had just occurred five minutes ago, I think.’
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said: ‘A man attempted to attack members of the gendarmerie with a knife, including members of the gendarmerie band who were preparing for the ceremony.
‘This individual attempted to take the life of a gendarme.’
The French anti-terrorist department has since confirmed the incident and has launched enquiries.
A statement from the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office read: ‘Following the events that occurred on February 13, 2026 in Paris, the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office has taken up these facts and opened a preliminary investigation.
‘A magistrate from the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office is travelling to the scene in Paris.’
No other injuries have been reported, and a probe remains ongoing.
