THIS is the moment the man thought to be behind the fatal stabbing of a tourist in Paris brandishes his knife as cops taser and arrest him.
Allegedly shouting “Allahu Akbar” – Arabic for “God is greatest” – he killed a German tourist and injured a British man near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday night.
TwitterThe man thought to be behind the terror stabbings in Paris appears to brandish a weapon at police officers[/caption]
Local media named the suspect as Armand R, a 26-year-old French national who was already known to security services
ReutersA German tourist was killed and a Brit injured near the Eiffel Tower in Paris[/caption]
A video by French outlet BFM appears to show police officers threatened by the suspect, who is seen brandishing a weapon.
Appearing to be wearing a hat and a mask, the man is then tasered and arrested by cops.
France‘s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said the attacker claimed at the time to have explosives, BFM reports.
The suspect was named by local media as 26-year-old French national Armand R, who was already known to security services, the BBC reports.
Son of two Iranian refugees, he had converted to Islam in 2015 after being radicalised online by an ISIS supporter, according to prosecution documents.
Mr Darmanin said the alleged attacker was heard shouting “Allahu Akbar”, Arabic for “God is greatest”, and told cops he was upset because “so many Muslims are dying in Afghanistan and in Palestine“.
He added the suspect served four years in jail after being convicted for planning another attack in 2016 and was on the French security services watchlist.
He was let out of prison early in 2020, and put on a treatment programme for ‘psychiatric and neurological problems,’ according to an investigating source.
Armand R was also known to have suffered psychiatric disorders, Mr Darmanin said.
In a chilling unconfirmed video message, the suspect appears to pledge his allegiance to ISIS, the Mirror reports.
He claimed to have carried out the sickening rampage as a response to the slaughter of Muslims in Afghanistan and Palestine.
In a two minute clip the attacker tells cops he killed a German and left two more injured, including a British national, because he “can’t stand watching Arabs being killed”.
He also claimed that France was an accomplice in the killings.
The bloodbath happened on the Grenelle quay, in the 15th arrondissement of the French capital, shortly before 9pm local time on Saturday.
Officials confirmed that the man killed was a German national, who was slashed in the back and shoulder by the attacker last night.
The British victim is understood to have been attacked while walking through the city with his family.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed: “We are supporting a British man who was injured in Paris and are in contact with the local authorities.”
A security cordon is currently in place by the incidents as police carry out investigations.
Officers said there was no early indication as to the motive of the stabbing.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said Armand R was also known to have suffered psychiatric disordersRex
ReutersThe bloodbath happened on the Grenelle quay, in the 15th arrondissement of the French capital, at around 10pm[/caption]
A security cordon is currently in place as police investigateRex
The Mega AgencyOfficials have not confirmed the motive of the attacks[/caption]