A police officer targeted on Monday in a stabbing attack in Cannes was protected from physical injury by his vest, France’s interior minister confirmed as investigators evaluate if the incident was related to terrorism.
The officer was attacked by a male assailant outside the central police station of Cannes. One officer was stabbed, but luckily wasn’t injured thanks to his ballistic vest, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in an update on Twitter. The minister flew to Southern France to personally oversee the investigation into the attack.
According to BFM, the suspect, who was shot and injured by another police officer at the scene, was identified as a 37-year-old Algerian citizen, who was not on law enforcement’s radar before the incident.
The man reportedly approached a police car parked outside the station and stabbed one officer, before walking around the vehicle and opening the door to attack another. At that point, a third officer sitting in the car shot him.
Some reports claimed the suspect said something about “the Prophet” during the attack. Investigators have not confirmed that the incident had any terrorist connection.
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