Paris: Passengers flee in panic at Gare du Nord after police arrest man with knife
A man holding a knife provoked panic at Gare du Nord station in Paris on Saturday afternoon before being quickly arrested by French police, who played down the seriousness of the incident, as false rumours spread online.
According to reports the man was reportedly "walking with a knife" but it is not clear whether he was brandishing it in the open.
Images posted on Twitter showed armed police pointing guns at the man as they searched him on the ground .Other officers could be seen telling members of the public to move away from the area.
URGENT - #PARIS: L' homme armé d'un couteau a été neutralisé à la Gare du Nord à Paris alors qu'il s'approchait de gendarmes." #AlerteInfo pic.twitter.com/ndgybF2AwG
— FranceNews24 (@FranceNews24) April 22, 2017
The incident was dealt with quickly by French police who were later seen leading the suspect away in handcuffs.
"An individual carrying a knife came into the station, was pointed out to a police patrol which immediately arrested him," one of the sources said.
No-one was injured in the incident.
One police source told BFM TV the suspect said he carried a knife "because he feared for his life". The source added that he was never "menacing" and followed police instructions to lie down immediately."
They were eager to calm fears and dismiss rumpurs it was an attempted attack with the source telling BFM TV, it was a "non-story".
#Elysée2017 #SECURITE #PARIS >> Mouvement de foule dans la #garedunord après l'interpellation d'un homme armé d'un couteau. pic.twitter.com/MRLJklsCzA
— ValentifulLIVE (@ValentifulLIVE) April 22, 2017
But nevertheless, such is the anxiety in France right now after Thursday's Champs-Elysées attack, the incident did cause panic.
Witnesses spoke of passengers fleeing in panic leaving their suitcases behind and false reports quickly spread online that there had been an "explosion" and a terror attack.
Police collecting scattered luggage after passengers flee Gare du Nord in Paris. Man arrested #Paris pic.twitter.com/ka5zDdSQ7B
— Hannah Bayman (@hannahbayman) April 22, 2017
Les personnes ont fuis la gare suite à l'attestation d'un homme armé. #GareDuNord reouverte, périmètre levé pic.twitter.com/5V6jQdUT7L
— MiSo K (@ricom76) April 22, 2017
The incident comes just two days after a gunman killed a police officer on the Champs-Elysées and wounded tow others.
France is on edge for further attacks with voters set to go to the polls on Sunday to choose their new president.
Some 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers are to be mobilized across the country and polling stations in Paris are to be given particular protection.
Comments
See Also
According to reports the man was reportedly "walking with a knife" but it is not clear whether he was brandishing it in the open.
Images posted on Twitter showed armed police pointing guns at the man as they searched him on the ground .Other officers could be seen telling members of the public to move away from the area.
URGENT - #PARIS: L' homme armé d'un couteau a été neutralisé à la Gare du Nord à Paris alors qu'il s'approchait de gendarmes." #AlerteInfo pic.twitter.com/ndgybF2AwG
— FranceNews24 (@FranceNews24) April 22, 2017
The incident was dealt with quickly by French police who were later seen leading the suspect away in handcuffs.
"An individual carrying a knife came into the station, was pointed out to a police patrol which immediately arrested him," one of the sources said.
No-one was injured in the incident.
One police source told BFM TV the suspect said he carried a knife "because he feared for his life". The source added that he was never "menacing" and followed police instructions to lie down immediately."
They were eager to calm fears and dismiss rumpurs it was an attempted attack with the source telling BFM TV, it was a "non-story".
#Elysée2017 #SECURITE #PARIS >> Mouvement de foule dans la #garedunord après l'interpellation d'un homme armé d'un couteau. pic.twitter.com/MRLJklsCzA
— ValentifulLIVE (@ValentifulLIVE) April 22, 2017
But nevertheless, such is the anxiety in France right now after Thursday's Champs-Elysées attack, the incident did cause panic.
Witnesses spoke of passengers fleeing in panic leaving their suitcases behind and false reports quickly spread online that there had been an "explosion" and a terror attack.
Police collecting scattered luggage after passengers flee Gare du Nord in Paris. Man arrested #Paris pic.twitter.com/ka5zDdSQ7B
— Hannah Bayman (@hannahbayman) April 22, 2017
Les personnes ont fuis la gare suite à l'attestation d'un homme armé. #GareDuNord reouverte, périmètre levé pic.twitter.com/5V6jQdUT7L
— MiSo K (@ricom76) April 22, 2017
The incident comes just two days after a gunman killed a police officer on the Champs-Elysées and wounded tow others.
France is on edge for further attacks with voters set to go to the polls on Sunday to choose their new president.
Some 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers are to be mobilized across the country and polling stations in Paris are to be given particular protection.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.