Arrest by special unit Armed man barricades himself in restaurant with workers

Armed with a knife, a man has entrenched himself with four employees in a restaurant near Paris. It was unclear at times whether he was holding them hostage. Then a sigh of relief.

An armed man has temporarily entrenched himself in a restaurant near Paris with several employees. The man was arrested after several hours and the four workers were freed, as the French news agency AFP reported with reference to police circles. According to the report, the man is said to be the son of the restaurant owner and had a knife with him. The police were on site at the restaurant in Issy-les-Moulineaux with a special unit.

According to France Info, it was initially unclear whether or not the incident was a hostage situation. Referring to informed sources, the broadcaster wrote that there was no demonstrable danger to the people in the restaurant. The employees were shocked and very slightly injured after being freed.

The police had written on X about an operation and called for the security forces to be allowed to work. They initially refused to provide any further information when asked.

According to France Info, the man is known to the police in connection with violence and drugs, as the station learned from police sources. According to them, the man's mother had called the emergency services in the morning because the man had been in cocaine withdrawal.

dpa