发生在周五的法国超市人质劫持事件中,一名警察自愿替换人质被枪击身亡。法国总统马克龙表示,法国将举国哀悼这位英雄。
France will pay a national tribute to the police officer who voluntarily took place of a hostage during Friday’s supermarket siege in the southwestern town of Trebes, President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday.
Arnaud Beltrame, who once served in Iraq, offered himself up unarmed to the attacker in exchange for the woman who was taken as a human shield, and managed to leave his phone on a table with an open line so that police could hear what was going on inside the supermarket.
People lay flowers as gendarmes stand guard in front of the Gendarmerie Nationale in Carcassonne on March 24, 2018 in tribute to Arnaud Beltrame. /VCG Photo
The 44-year-old was then hospitalized after being shot at neck by the gunman and died later in hospital.
Macron "decided that a national tribute would be organized in honor of Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame who sacrificed his life to protect our fellow citizens," according to his office.
What happened?
The gunman claiming allegiance to the ISIL has been identified as 25-year-old Redouane Lakdim and was eventually shot and killed by police at the scene.
Lakdim first killed the driver while stealing a car in Carcassonne, a walled city with a medieval citadel that is one of France's top tourist attractions.
He pulled up in the car to four police officers who were jogging in the city and opened fire, hitting one in the shoulder, then sped off to Trebes, about 8km (5 miles) to the east, where he took hostages in the supermarket.
Four people were killed and 15 others injured in attack, which Macron said was believed to be "a threat to all of our security."
Two people believed to be linked to the gunman have been arrested.