At least two people have died in central Paris after police officers fired on a car trying to hit them on the capital’s oldest bridge, just hours after projections revealed Emmanuel Macron had won a second term as president. French.
The incident that occurred on Sunday night also resulted in another person being injured, according to local reports citing officials.
Police said they initially saw a Volkswagen Polo near the Pont Neuf while driving in the wrong direction and decided to search it, according to French media.
The car was seen running towards police and did not stop, French news channel BFM TV reported..
One of the police officers present opened fire after the car sped up as they tried to stop it. The shooting killed two people and injured a third inside the car.
Police said the injured person was a woman sitting in the back of the car. A bullet hit her in the arm.
The site of the incident was closed to traffic, authorities said.
A witness said he heard four shots and when he looked in the direction of the shooting he saw a man running and immediately collapsing, AFP reported.
The man was apparently not the driver but a passenger in the car, the witness said.
The incident is being investigated by the French Inspectorate General of Police (IGPN). A coroner also attended the scene of the shooting Monday morning.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said judicial police were investigating the incident for “attempted intentional homicide against persons holding public authority.”
No return fire was reported from the car’s occupants and none of them were armed when the incident occurred.
A convoy of police cars and ambulances were seen dotting the cordoned off area after the shooting in the area.
It was not immediately clear if the incident has any link to the presidential elections in the country.
There have been some street protests in cities across France, including Paris, against Macron, who returned to power according to opinion poll predictions and became the first president in 20 years to secure a consecutive term.
Hundreds of students gathered outside the Sorbonne in Paris and other universities to challenge the options presented to them in the presidential elections.
Police used tear gas against the crowd of protesters in an attempt to disperse them.
Images on social media showed hundreds of riot police chasing the crowd in unison as shouts and demonstrations ensued.
Police were seen retreating moments after charging into the crowd of protesters.