DIARMID COURREGES
As the prefect of the Dordogne, Frédéric Périssat, announced on Monday, there was an exchange of fire with the police during the arrest, in which the wanted man was shot and injured.
The man had shot on Sunday at police officers who had been called to a case of domestic violence in the town of Le Lardin-Saint-Lazare. Then he fled into a forest. Around 300 police officers as well as special units of the gendarmerie and dog squadrons were involved in the search for the ex-soldier in the hard-to-reach forest area. Several helicopters were also in use.
On Monday morning, the police published a mug shot and warned that the ex-soldier armed with a hunting rifle was “dangerous”. The 1,800 residents of Le Lardin-Saint-Lazare were instructed to stay in their homes as a precaution. After the arrest, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin thanked the emergency services on the Twitter online service for their successful work.
The 29-year-old ex-soldier was already in custody for domestic violence and was wearing an electronic handcuff. In the most recent incident, according to police, he allegedly attacked the new friend of his former partner. When the police intervened, he shot the officers and damaged two police cars.