The man was shot by police in Paris on Tuesday afternoon.
The man responsible for an attack on a police officer at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Tuesday shouted ‘This is for Syria’ before attacking him with a hammer, according to French interior minister Gerard Collomb.
According to the BBC, the attacker was shot but not fatally wounded by a colleague of the police officer who was attacked with the hammer; the victim of the attack was taken to hospital for treatment for minor injuries.
French officials say that the attack is being treated as a “terrorist incident”; the country has been in a state of emergency since a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015.
The attack is reported to have sparked panic amongst hundreds of tourists who were present at the scene; police in Paris say the situation is under control and that members of the public who were confined at the scene will be gradually released after undergoing the usual checks.
🔴 Parvis de #NotreDame Situation maîtrisée, un policier blessé, l'auteur des faits a été neutralisé et orienté vers un hôpital
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) June 6, 2017
🔴 Parvis de #NotreDame Le public confiné lors de l'intervention va être progressivement autorisé à sortir après les vérifications d'usage
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) June 6, 2017