Hunt for armed man in Dordogne; residents warned to stay at home

Residents in a village in Dordogne are being told to stay at home today (May 30) while around 160 gendarmerie hunt a suspected armed man.

Gendarmerie are hunting a wooded area in Lardin-Saint-Lazare after a reported sighting of the suspect at around 05:00 this morning.

He is thought to be in his 30s, a former military man, with a history of domestic violence. He has recently come out of prison, and is still wearing an electronic tag, France Bleu Périgord said.

He has already shot at officers.

Frédéric Périssat, Dordogne prefect, told FranceInfo: “The person has been spotted. There was a family dispute last night with a man who was armed, and when the gendarmerie arrived, he opened fire.

“The aim is to put the tightest-possible perimeter in place to arrest him. He is moving in a wooded area. We must simultaneously follow him, while also being careful and keeping our distance, so we do not play with people’s lives.”

Gendarmerie were called to a property in the village at around midnight last night. Reports suggest that the man was heavily under the influence of alcohol, and armed.

He had arrived at the home of his ex-girlfriend and her children, and started to attack her new partner.

The partner managed to escape, but the suspect shot at him. Gendarmerie arrived after the shots were fired, and the man shot at them too, damaging two vehicles.

The man’s ex-partner and her children have not been harmed, and are being looked after by gendarmerie.

At the time of writing, residents are warned to stay at home and avoid driving in the area. Several roads are closed as the manhunt continues.

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