A man stabbed a police officer during the Tour de France near the finish line, before being shot in the leg by police.
The incident occurred around 3:20 p.m. local time on stage four of the race between Amiens and Rouen, according to RTL. The 21-year-old suspect was reportedly waving a weapon and threatening people near the finish area in Boulingrin, Rouen, prompting police officers to intervene.
During the chase, the man turned and stabbed one officer before attempting to flee. A police officer responded by shooting him in the leg. Emergency services then intervened, Le Parisien reports.
The suspect had allegedly escaped from a psychiatric hospital on June 24 and is believed to be mentally unstable.
The Tour de France incident has sparked debate online. “Psychiatric hospitals and nursing staff are not trained to keep this type of individual locked up. Secure prisons with armed personnel are needed,” one user wrote on X.
“Thank goodness for the observant police. This could have ended much worse,” another commented on Facebook.
