A deaf civilian police worker who had recently converted to Islam killed four colleagues including a woman with a ceramic knife. He was shot dead by the French police in Paris on Thursday.
According to the reports, 45-year old Michael Harpon caused the bloodbath in the French capital’s historic Police Prefecture after he attacked three members of the police force’s intelligence division on Thursday inside two ground floor offices, then went into a stairwell and assaulted two women.
Reportedly, Harpon is deaf since childhood, was originally from the Caribbean island of Martinique – a French overseas territory. He was married in 2014, converted to his wife’s religion in 2018 before they had their first child together.
Harpon’s wife Iham has been arrested. According to police officials, the nature of Harpon’s attack corresponded with similar ones carried out by terrorists affiliated to Islamic State and Al-Qaeda.
Harpon, who had worked in the IT department since 2003, had recently been reprimanded by his female boss over his refusal to interact with women. Harpon worked directly to the Directorate of Intelligence of the Prefecture of Police, or DRPP. Investigators also believe one of the motivations for the attack could be a ‘dispute over working with female colleagues’.
One of the women who was attacked by Harpon has survived the attack. She underwent emergency surgery and still in critical condition.
Later, the attacker was gunned down in a courtyard at the police facility by an officer described as a young “police trainee”.
