By AFP
A French policeman who was shot and stabbed after swapping himself for a hostage in a rampage and siege President Emmanuel Macron branded “an Islamist terrorist attack” died of his wounds Saturday, becoming the gunman’s fourth victim.
Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame, 45, was among a group of officers who rushed to the scene in the town of Trebes in southwest France Friday after the attacker, who claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group, stormed a supermarket and fired at shoppers and staff.
Beltrane offered to take the place of a woman the gunman had taken hostage and was shot and badly wounded before anti-terror police moved in to kill the attacker and end the siege.
“Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame has passed away. He died for his country. France will never forget his heroism,” Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said on his Twitter account.
Macron earlier paid tribute to the bravery of the police officer.
“He saved lives and honored his colleagues and his country,” Macron said.
With the death of the officer, the assailant, identified as 25-year-old Radouane Lakdim, killed a total of four people in France’s first major jihadist attack since October.
About 50 people were in the supermarket at the time, and though some people managed to escape, several remained inside.
Beltrame “left his telephone on the table” to allow police who had surrounded the building to listen in, Collomb said.
When special forces heard shots they stormed the store, killing the gunman and recovering Beltrame, who had been seriously wounded.
He was shot twice and stabbed several times by the attacker, a source close to the investigation told AFP.
