French security services are today facing troubling questions as to how they failed to prevent an ISIS gunman from slaughtering one policeman and wounding two other officers in Paris when he was already on a terror watch list and was arrested as recently as February.
Karim Cheurfi , a 39-year-old father, was known as a threat to the country and described as an 'extremist' by authorities, who had placed him on a watch list. It's believed he was radicalised while serving a 20-year jail sentence for attempting to kill two officers in 2001, before his release last year.
In February, the terrorist tried to obtain weapons and made threats to kill police officers, but was let go in early March due to lack of evidence.
Last night, the fanatic was killed by police after he got out of his Audi and opened fire at police stopped at a red light on Champs Elysees. His car was packed with more weapons, including a pump action shotgun and knives.
One traffic officer died instantly with a shot to the head, while the other two were hurt before Cheurfi himself was gunned down by nearby armed police. A ricocheting bullet fired by the terrorist also wounded a female foreign tourist passing by.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack and named the attacker as 'Abu Yousuf al-Belgiki', which translates to 'the Belgian' in Arabic - a name which was listed in uncovered documents from the terror group last year.
- French police have this morning arrested three family members of ISIS gunman Karim Cheurfi
- Police are hunting a second suspect, who was brought to their attention by Belgian authorities
- A man whose image appeared on social media as 'second suspect' handed himself to police in Antwerp claiming he was not linked to the plot. Detectives have said this man had nothing to do with the attack
- A note backing Islamic State was found near the Champs Elysees and is being investigated by police
- Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen called for all French terror suspects to be expelled
- France's government has reviewed its already extensive election security measures and says it is 'fully mobilised' and nothing will stop Sunday's presidential vote
- US President Donald Trump believes the attack will have a 'big effect' on the outcome of the election
French officials revealed that Cheurfi was detained on February 23 this year, after it emerged he was trying to buy weapons 'to kill police'.
He used the alias 'Abu Yousuf the Belgian' and reportedly made threats to murder officers using the social media app Telegram, an instant messaging service. The fanatic was set free due to lack of evidence on March 6.
Despite being put on a watch list and regarded as a threat to France, he was able to obtain a Kalashnikov, a pump action shotgun and several knives ahead of last night's attack.
It's understood that before his early release from prison last year, probation officers noted that Cheurfi had been radicalised while serving his sentence.
He had been jailed for 20 years in 2005 for trying to kill two policemen. He opened fire five times with a .38 revolver following a car chase in 2001, leaving the officers and a third victim wounded. All three survived the attack in Roissy-en-Brie, in the Seine-et-Marne department of northern France.
French officials revealed that Cheurfi was detained on February 23 this year, after it emerged he was trying to buy weapons 'to kill police'.
He used the alias 'Abu Yousuf the Belgian' and reportedly made threats to murder officers using the social media app Telegram, an instant messaging service. The fanatic was set free due to lack of evidence on March 6.
Despite being put on a watch list and regarded as a threat to France, he was able to obtain a Kalashnikov, a pump action shotgun and several knives ahead of last night's attack.
It's understood that before his early release from prison last year, probation officers noted that Cheurfi had been radicalised while serving his sentence.
He had been jailed for 20 years in 2005 for trying to kill two policemen. He opened fire five times with a .38 revolver following a car chase in 2001, leaving the officers and a third victim wounded. All three survived the attack in Roissy-en-Brie, in the Seine-et-Marne department of northern France.
Cheurfi, who was born in France, was a recluse who blamed police for ruining his life, a friend of the family revealed today.
The 39-year-old did not attend formal mosque prayer services and became fascinated by jihadist propaganda via the internet, a confident of his mother claimed.
'Karim did not pray, he drank alcohol and watched jihadist propaganda, ' neighbour Hakim, 50, told MailOnline.
'He was not a good Muslim, he was a lost soul. He had no friends, no girlfriend, he never went out. He stayed at home all day watching stuff on the internet.
Another neighbour added: 'Karim didn't go to the mosque. He just stayed at home. You never saw him.'
Hakim continued: 'Karim blamed the police for ruining his life. He fired (a pistol) at police during a burglary and got sentenced to 15 years prison.
'He was only 20 at the time. He hated the police, he said they had ruined his life. He was 'anti-cop'. He would swear at officers in the street, call them bastards. He didn't care.'
Hakim, whose family is close to Cheurfi's mother, said the gunman had only recently returned to the quiet residential street after spending years behind bars.
Cheurfi lived separately from his mother in a purpose-built apartment in the front of the property.
'He lived in the studio in the garden. The mother lived in the big house.'
Cheurfi's Algerian-born mother had divorced his father and had married a Frenchman with who she had second son. She later divorced her second son.
Dramatic footage captured the moment French police chased and shot at the gunman, who later died. A pump action shotgun and knives were found in the Audi he was driving, which also contained his ID - confirming to detectives that he was known to security services for a number of recent offences and had been flagged as an 'extremist'.
Officers have been searching the home of the alleged shooter in east Paris and arrested three of his family members. Cheurfi was detained last month after it emerged he was trying to buy weapons 'to kill police', but was released due to lack of evidence.
A French government spokesman said the ISIS gunman began firing against police using 'a weapon of war'.
Police have now launched a desperate manhunt for a second suspect, who travelled by train to France from Belgium.
The fatal incident unfolded as presidential candidates, including National Front party leader Marine Le Pen, debated on a TV show nearby before Sunday's election.
A French police officer has been shot dead on the Champs Elysees in Paris (pictured) - just as presidential candidates took part in a TV debate nearby
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and dramatic video footage showed the immediate aftermath of the incident which left one policeman dead.
In the video, posted on Twitter, several figures can be seen moving around next to a police van on the Champs Elysees.
One of the figures then appeared to fall to the ground and a silver car - believed to have been used by the suspects - can be seen parked next to the van.
Pierre-Henry Brandet, spokesman for the French Interior Ministry, confirmed that both injured officers in hospital were now 'out of danger' and 'stable', while the female tourist was far less badly hurt.
Mr Brandet did not name any of the victims, but praised the officers for 'helping to avoid a bloodbath' by 'neutralising' the attacker as quickly as possible.
French President Francois Hollande said the attack was 'terrorist related' and scheduled an emergency meeting following the shootings on Thursday evening.
Mr Hollande said a national tribute will be paid to the policeman and added that a 'passerby was hit' before the 'assailant was neutralised'.
Conservative contender Francois Fillon, who has campaigned against 'Islamic totalitarianism,' said on France 2 television that he was canceling his planned campaign stops Friday.
Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who campaigns against immigration and Islamic fundamentalism, took to Twitter to offer her sympathy for law enforcement officers 'once again targeted.'
She canceled a minor campaign stop, but scheduled another.
Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron offered his thoughts to the family of the dead officer.
Socialist Benoit Hamon tweeted his 'full support' to police against terrorism.
Presidential candidates Marine Le Pen and Francois Fillon announced that they have both cancelled their campaigning on Friday.
Mr Brandet, spokesman for France's Interior Ministry, confirmed that one police officer was dead and two were seriously wounded following the 'targeted attack'.
Shortly after the attack Brandet described what was believed to have happened.
He said a 'car pulled up just after 9pm' next to a police patrol car which was parked up on the busy avenue.
A man jumped out with a Kalashnikov and started firing indiscriminately into the police vehicle and hit the unidentified officer who died.
The assailant then ran off, pursued by other officers in the vicinity. Two of them were wounded as they killed him.
Mr Brandet said 'all lines of investigation were being pursued', while intelligence sources said the dead assailant was a known radical on a so-called S-file, for 'State-security'.
This means he would have been under surveillance, because he was a known risk to the country.
An eyewitness, called Chelloug, said: 'It was a terrorist. He came out with a Kalashnikov and started shooting, but he could've shot us on the pavement and killed more people with a spray of shots.
'But he targeted the policemen and fortunately there were the policemen who killed him.'
Another witness said: 'I saw someone shoot at the police officers. They returned fire, they killed him, he fell on the floor. And then the emergency services came.
'It took place by Zara and there was a CRS (Republican Security Companies) van parked up and the man shot the police officers. He took out a weapon and shot them.
'I think the police officer was killed on the spot and his colleagues fired back and killed the individual.'
The attack comes just three days before the first round of balloting in France's tense presidential election.
A witness, identified only as Ines, told BFM that she heard a shooting, saw a man's body on the ground and the area was quickly evacuated by police.
It comes just two days after police arrested two men in southern Marseille with weapons and explosives who were suspected of preparing an attack to disrupt the first-round of the presidential election on Sunday.
France is in a state of emergency and at its highest possible level of alert since a string of terror attacks that began in 2015, which have killed over 230 people.
Thousands of troops and armed police have been deployed to guard tourist hotspots such as the Champs Elysees or other potential targets like government buildings and religious sites.
