A 27-year-old Bangladeshi man was to be tried on Friday, in immediate appearance, for threatening police officers while holding a knife in each hand.
The scene, filmed and broadcast on social networks, took place on the morning of Wednesday, in front of the premises of the French Office for Immigration and Integration (Ofii), in Montrouge.
It was around 11 o'clock in the morning, the Bangladeshi, "in an irregular situation" according to a person close to the case, was leaving the office where he would not have obtained the expected help.
"He came without an appointment and asked for accommodation," said a police source.
"We have someone in front of our doors with two huge knives"
Moments later, the man was circling in front of the Ofii premises, a long-bladed knife in each hand, as shown in the video.
The employees of the office alerted the police in these terms: “We have someone in front of our doors with two knives, huge.
He looks a little pissed off.
The Bangladeshi was indeed pacing up and down the sidewalk, in a sort of square delimited by security lines.
The Guardians of our Peace protect the people 🇫🇷.
An individual carrying knives sows fear and threatens our colleagues.
Witnesses will make the "17" #Police help.
Armed with courage and their composure, the #police officers will succeed in calling him out.
Zero injuries.
A drama avoided!
pic.twitter.com/3WXBOnolxV
- Matthieu Valet (@mvaletsicp) October 22, 2021
When the police arrived there, the Bangladeshi raised his right hand, the knife still in hand.
He pointed the second knife at his stomach, threatening to kill himself if the police approached.
The three policemen drew their Taser.
One of them shouted at least twice "Drop your knife".
Without success.
Then one of the crew pulled the trigger.
Immediate effect: the man collapsed to the ground, dropping the knives.
Placed in custody, he said he did not want to attack anyone other than himself.
The fact remains that brandishing his weapon, the man threatened the police.
This is why he is being prosecuted for “death threats with a weapon, against a person holding public authority” and “carrying a prohibited weapon”.
At the end of the day, his trial had not yet started.