Paris Police Open Fire On Car Driving Towards Him: Two People Killed, One Injured

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Tony Webster)

JAKARTA - Police in central Paris, France shot and killed two people in a car that was driving towards them.

The car did not stop at a police checkpoint as it drove on the Pont Neuf, Paris' oldest bridge, shortly after midnight local time.

Officers opened fire on a vehicle speeding towards them, a police source told AFP, as reported by The National News April 25. Meanwhile, a third person in the car was injured.

The incident came just hours after Emmanuel Macron, the incumbent French president, won elections for a second term.

A large contingent of police descended on the scene in the heart of the capital, where white cloth covered bodies and Volkswagen sedans were seen slashing through traffic.

Less than two kilometers away, French President Emmanuel Macron celebrated his victory over far-right rival Marine Le Pen, with a crowd of supporters in the Champ de Mars park.

His victory capped a tense contest that saw far-right France come closest to winning the presidency.

However, no connection was made between the bridge incident and election night events.

Separately, an Egyptian tourist, who gave his name as El Sammak, said he was near the incident on the terrace of the White Horse Hotel overlooking the Seine when he heard the shooting.

"I heard four bullets (fired)," he explained. When I looked, I saw a man running 10 or 15 meters. Then he fainted. It turned out, he was not the driver but the passenger," he explained.

It said an investigation had been launched into "attempted voluntary murder of persons responsible for public authorities". Paris Public Prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, arrived at around 1.30am local time.

Meanwhile, France's police oversight body, the Inspectorate General of the National Police, is also expected to be deployed, as usual once officers use firearms.