Schoolboy 'Mr T' sparks French terror alert
The Local France - [email protected]
Published: 18 Feb, 2015 CET.Updated: Wed 18 Feb 2015 10:31 CET
Police in the French city of Nice, which is on high alert for terror attacks, launched a massive manhunt on Tuesday after witnesses reported seeing a man cruising around town armed with a Kalashnikov. A schoolboy had some explaining to do. Reports came in on Tuesday morning that a man in the southern city of Nice was armed. In fact heavily armed. Witnesses had told police he was carrying a "kalashnikov", reported French newspaper Le Parisien. Police, who are on edge in the city after a terror attack against three soldiers earlier this month, wasted no time in launching an extensive manhunt. They scoured video surveillance and sent out all available officers to track the man down, fearing another terrorist attack was about to take place. By late afternoon, the police had tracked down the culprit - but let's just say he was not what they might have been expecting to find. In fact the "Kalashnikov carrying potential terrorist" was just a 17-year-old high school student dressed for a party - as tough guy actor Mr T, known for his roles in 80s TV show The A-Team and Rocky III. The boy's plastic gun was confiscated, and he escaped with a warning. Lycéen déguisé en #barracuda, n’avait pas pensé aux conséquences: S'est rendu #carnaval sans son arme en plastique pic.twitter.com/1lsQLNgCTy
— Police Nationale 06 (@PNationale06) February 17, 2015
The local police tweeted the picture above, adding that the student "didn't think of the consequences" of dressing as B. A. Baracus (known as Barracuda in France), and would have to rejoin the party without his plastic gun.
While the police may be the butt of a few jokes on Wednesday, their action is understandable given the tension in the city and the country as a whole after recent terror attacks. Nice has been on edge ever since a man attacked three soldiers who were protecting a Jewish centre. Two of the soldiers suffered from knife wounds in the attack, which was carried out in broad daylight. France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls responded by raising the terror alert in the riviera area to the highest level. Comments
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Reports came in on Tuesday morning that a man in the southern city of Nice was armed. In fact heavily armed. Witnesses had told police he was carrying a "kalashnikov", reported French newspaper Le Parisien.
Police, who are on edge in the city after a terror attack against three soldiers earlier this month, wasted no time in launching an extensive manhunt.
They scoured video surveillance and sent out all available officers to track the man down, fearing another terrorist attack was about to take place.
By late afternoon, the police had tracked down the culprit - but let's just say he was not what they might have been expecting to find.
In fact the "Kalashnikov carrying potential terrorist" was just a 17-year-old high school student dressed for a party - as tough guy actor Mr T, known for his roles in 80s TV show The A-Team and Rocky III.
The boy's plastic gun was confiscated, and he escaped with a warning.
Lycéen déguisé en #barracuda, n’avait pas pensé aux conséquences: S'est rendu #carnaval sans son arme en plastique pic.twitter.com/1lsQLNgCTy
— Police Nationale 06 (@PNationale06) February 17, 2015The local police tweeted the picture above, adding that the student "didn't think of the consequences" of dressing as B. A. Baracus (known as Barracuda in France), and would have to rejoin the party without his plastic gun.
While the police may be the butt of a few jokes on Wednesday, their action is understandable given the tension in the city and the country as a whole after recent terror attacks.
Nice has been on edge ever since a man attacked three soldiers who were protecting a Jewish centre.
Two of the soldiers suffered from knife wounds in the attack, which was carried out in broad daylight.
France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls responded by raising the terror alert in the riviera area to the highest level.
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