French Police Officer Injured in Knife Attack in Cannes, Assailant 'Neutralised'

Earlier, a policeman was reported to have been attacked with a weapon in Cannes, southern France, in what French officials don't rule out may have been a terrorist incident.

A police officer from the Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes) police station sustained injuries after being stabbed by an assailant at around 6.30 am.

Un policier du commissariat de #Cannes a été blessé à l’arme blanche. L’agresseur a été neutralisé par ses collègues. Je me rends sur place immédiatement ce matin et j’apporte tout mon soutien à la police nationale et à la ville de Cannes.

— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) November 8, 2021

His knife-wielding attacker was "neutralized" , Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced on Twitter on Monday.

"I am going to the scene immediately this morning and I offer my support to the national police and to the city of Cannes," added Darmanin on his Twitter account.

The perpetrator had reportedly opened the door of a police car parked in front of the station, stabbing the policeman seated at the wheel with a knife, BFM TV reported, citing a police source.

Cannes: des policiers ont été agressés au couteau ce matin, le suspect a lui été "neutralisé" pic.twitter.com/cBOXf9qfDf

— BFMTV - Matinale (@PremiereEdition) November 8, 2021

The individual purportedly tried to attack a second policeman in the same car, however, a third officer fired his weapon, injuring the attacker. According to French media, the policeman's life was possibly saved by his bulletproof vest.

Tout mon soutien aux policiers du commissariat central de #Cannes ciblés par une attaque à l’arme blanche qui a fait un blessé. https://t.co/fkBJquzBY7

— Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) November 8, 2021

The main suspect in the attack, who has been hospitalized, is reported by AFP, citing police sources, to have exclaimed statements "in the name of the Prophet".