A French police officer has been stabbed multiple times in the neck and hand inside a police station, according to reports.
Local newspaper Sud Ouest reported that the man suddenly attacked the officer in the hall of La Rochelle police station just after 1pm on Tuesday.
The man had asked reception at the station to speak to the officer, who had taken a complaint from his ex-partner about domestic violence.
He then stabbed the officer repeatedly in the hand and neck.
The officer’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, according to Sud Ouest.
The Unité SGP Police union said in a statement: “We are shocked once again by this gratuitous violence committed against the police. This attack is violent and traumatic.
“We remain vigilant regarding the state of health of our injured colleague. Our union organization has contacted our management on multiple occasions for the installation of a security gate.”
They added: “The safety of our colleagues is priceless and we hope to see this long-awaited device arrive as soon as possible
“In addition, we reiterate our request for anonymization of procedures so that the names of colleagues are not disclosed. We will be attentive to the criminal response given to this case.”
The attacker’s motivation is not yet known.
Earlier this month, a man armed with a knife and hammer left three people injured in an attack at Gare du Nord station in Paris.
French interior minister Gerald Darmanin said the attack was an “unbearable attack” and thanked those who detained the attacker.
In 2021, a female police officer was killed in a knife attack at a police station south-west of Paris.
