French prosecutors have said that a knifeman who stabbed two police officers in Toulouse while shouting “Allahu Akbar” is not an Islamist. The attack occurred on Monday as officers patrolled the Rue d’Austerlitz in the city.
Attack and arrest
The suspect, a 30-year-old Italian national, was confronted by officers who tried to subdue him with batons. After dropping one knife, he pulled out a second and then a third before being restrained.
The local prosecutor’s office has stated that the assault did not appear to have an “Islamist character.”
Injuries and charges
One officer was stabbed in the neck and required several stitches. Investigators believe the attacker tried and failed to sever the carotid artery. A female officer who arrived at the scene was stabbed three times, though her bulletproof vest prevented more serious injury. A third officer present was unhurt.
The suspect has been charged with the attempted murder of three public officials and placed in pretrial detention, according to the Toulouse Public Prosecutor’s Office. He told investigators he had “obeyed voices.”
Reactions
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez expressed support for the officers and said prosecutors would fully examine the circumstances and motives of the attack. Local politician Emilion Esnault said the officers had come “within a hair’s breadth of the worst”.
