Paris police detain suspect after knife attack on three women

Paris police detain suspect after knife attack on three women
Police officers arrest a man who was armed with kitchen knives and attacked three women, in Paris, France, 27 July 2026
Reuters

Three women were injured in a knife attack in Paris on Monday before bystanders overpowered the suspect and an off-duty police officer took him into custody, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.

The attack took place near Porte de Clichy, where the man allegedly used two kitchen knives to attack women aged 19, 24 and 36. Two of the victims were seriously injured, according to Nunez.

Video verified by Reuters showed a man carrying two large knives attempting to attack a young woman before several members of the public intervened.

Mohamed-Ali Bouhadjar, 26, who filmed the incident and shared the footage on Snapchat, said he acted after seeing the suspect stab a woman.

"When I saw him stab a woman in the back, I started shouting, 'Come on, let's stop him!' Several people stepped in," Bouhadjar told Reuters.

He said one bystander threw a suitcase at the attacker, causing him to drop the knives.

"At that moment, I grabbed him, swept his legs out from under him, and we pinned him to the ground," he said.

Footage later showed the suspect restrained on the ground with the two knives lying nearby.

Investigation underway

Eyewitness accounts say the suspect was heard saying, "It is Allah who commanded me," while being restrained.

Nunez said the man was formally detained by an off-duty police officer, praising the officer's actions as courageous.

Authorities said the suspect's identity has not yet been confirmed and described his statements during the arrest as incoherent. The motive for the attack remains under investigation.

France's national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office said it is assessing whether to open a terrorism investigation.

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