An inmate convicted of burglary managed to flee the van. according to authorities, he is currently on the run.
On Tuesday, four armed men assaulted a van carrying French prison personnel on inmate transfer duty in the country’s northwest, killing at least two.
The incident happened at the Incarville toll booth near Val-de-Reuil, Normandy. The gunfight killed two officers, including the driver, and injured three more.
The liberated inmate was being taken from Rouen to Evreux. According to the local press, the detainee’s name is Mohammed Amra, 30. He is alleged to have been convicted of burglary and has a history of narcotics dealing.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron and Minister of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti offered their condolences to the dead policemen’ families and colleagues.
The national route R154 joining Val-de-Reuil and Artenay (near Orléans) has been closed as a result of the event.
The organised crime office and judicial police are presently looking into the attack.