Man ‘struck in head with machete after attacker played cat and mouse with police’

A man in his 50s has been injured after receiving ‘a machete blow to the back of their head and arm’ near a school in Paris today.

The incident happened at around 5pm near Place de Breteuil in the French capital where now there is heavy police presence.

Armed with a ‘machete,’ ‘cleaver,’ or a ‘knife’, the attacker was ‘playing cat and mouse’ with police before eventually striking one victim, witnesses describe.

A young woman, who saw what happened, told Le Parisien: ‘I saw a man running with a weapon in his hand, very threatening.

‘He was chased by police, and a few moments later we saw that someone was injured.’

The alleged suspect fled the scene and has so far not been apprehended.

Paris police have launched a hunt at a time when the city is already under the strain of the ‘Block Everything’ protests that were attended by around 200,000 people yesterday.

Local media reported that the victim did not suffer life-threatening injuries and was take to hospital.

Paris police secure the access to a street in the 7th arrondissement, after a security incident (Picture: Reuters)

Minister of culture Rachida Dati arrived at the scene as officers erected a cordone.

She said in a statement on X: ‘On site following the machete attack in the 7th.

‘Support for the victim, whose prognosis is not in question, and for the law enforcement forces mobilized.

‘Enough of the insecurity and daily violence: we must restore our authority everywhere in Paris and give ourselves the means to do so.’

Dati later added: ‘There is a school in the area, the lawns of Breteuil are often occupied by local residents, the children of local residents… It’s very family-oriented.’

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