top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon
Explore
arrow down

France shooting: Three gendarmes killed in domestic call

Officers were shot and killed after being called out to a domestic violence complaint in a small village in central France. A fourth is in hospital.

Three gendarmes were shot dead as they attended a domestic violence complaint last night (December 22) in the small village of Saint-Just in Puy-de-Dôme (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes).

The suspected killer, a man aged 48, was later found dead in his car. 

The three officers killed in the incident were from the local Ambert police force. The fourth is in hospital with a thigh injury and is expected to recover said Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.

‘Difficult’ case involving armed suspect 

National gendarmerie spokesperson Maddy Scheurer told news source FranceInfo the police intervention had been “difficult”.

Officers arrived at the domestic address in Saint-Just following a call from a friend of a woman who was being threatened by her ex-husband. The caller said that the woman had escaped to the roof of the building to try and stay safe.

Police had established a security perimeter by the time the suspect fired the first shots, killing one police officer and injuring another. The suspect then fled the scene, setting fire to the house as he left and shooting at a second police unit, killing two more officers.  

Ms Scheurer said: “It was night in a rural area where it was very dark, and the suspect accused of domestic violence was firing at gendarmes. His wife was on the roof of the house, which had caught fire, and everything happened very fast.” 

A manhunt involving helicopters and police dogs followed to try and find the suspect who was described by police as “armed and dangerous”.

The interior minister revealed at 8:45 this morning that the suspect had been found dead in his car. Suicide is suspected but has not yet been confirmed.

His ex-spouse was rescued from the building and is now being looked after by police.

 

Politicians pay tribute 

Following the incident, Mr Darmanin has travelled to Ambert to meet with the local gendarmerie unit this morning. 

President Macron has also tweeted in tribute to the officers: “They intervened to help a female victim of domestic violence in Puy-de-Dôme, three officers were killed and a fourth injured. The nation feels the pain of their families. To protect us, our forces of order put their lives in peril. They are our heroes.”

 

The three officers who lost their lives were Arno Mavel, aged 21, Cyrille Morel, aged 45, and Rémi Dupuis, aged 37.

Related stories

Five killed in French Alps mountain rescue helicopter crash

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Income Tax in France 2023 (for 2022 income)*
Featured Help Guide
- Primarily aimed at Britons, covers pensions, rent, ISAs, shares, savings and interest - but also contains significant general information pertinent to readers of other nationalities - Overview of online declarations + step-by-step guide to the French printed forms - Includes updates given automatically after this year's site opened
Get news, views and information from France