At least four officers were killed and several were wounded in a brazen knife attack at Paris police headquarters, situated in the heart of the city, across the street from Notre Dame Cathedral. The suspect, said to be an employee at the station, was shot dead.
A spokesman for the Paris police has declined to comment on the incident.
The metro station near the police building has been shut down for security reasons, the cityโs transport authority announced following the attack.
French Interior Minister Christoper Castaner is en route to inspect the crime scene, according to local media.
The suspect is believed to have been an administrative officer working in a secure part of the building, making it easy for him to enter the premises, a source told the Sun newspaper. It is thought that he used a ceramic knife that could not be picked up by metal detectors.
The attack comes a day after French police went on strike nationwide over an uptick in violence towards officers and rising suicide rates within the force.