Bystanders and an off-duty police officer helped stop the suspect near Porte de Clichy as authorities investigated his motive.
PARIS — French police detained a man Monday after he attacked three women with two kitchen knives near Porte de Clichy, leaving two seriously wounded before bystanders and an off-duty officer intervened, authorities said.
The attack happened at about 11:30 a.m. July 27 in Paris’ 17th arrondissement, a busy area near tram and metro service and the city’s main courthouse complex. The victims were 19, 24 and 36 years old, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. All three were hospitalized, but authorities said their lives were not believed to be in danger.
Geoffroy Boulard, mayor of the 17th arrondissement, said one of the injured women was pregnant. Officials did not immediately release the women’s names, their precise medical conditions or further information about the pregnancy. Two of the victims were initially classified as being in serious condition.
Video reviewed by Reuters showed a man dressed in light-colored clothing holding two large knives and moving toward a woman on a sidewalk. People nearby then confronted him. One bystander threw a suitcase that knocked away at least one of the weapons, allowing others to force the man to the ground.
An off-duty Paris police officer who was in the area detained the suspect while other officers were called to the scene. Nuñez praised the officer’s response, saying his intervention prevented the attack from causing an even greater toll. Local officials also thanked the civilians who helped restrain the man.
A witness who recorded part of the confrontation said several people acted together after realizing women had been attacked. Images from the area later showed investigators working inside a police cordon as emergency crews treated the injured and officers collected evidence.
The suspect made statements invoking Allah while he was being restrained, according to Nuñez and published reports. The interior minister described the statements as incoherent and warned against drawing conclusions about the motive before investigators completed their initial work.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office was monitoring the case but had not announced that it would take control of the investigation. That office reviews serious violent incidents for possible ideological or terrorist motives before deciding whether the available evidence falls within its authority.
Authorities had not publicly identified the suspect or confirmed whether he knew any of the women. Investigators were examining video, witness accounts and the suspect’s statements to determine why the women were targeted and whether the attack had been planned.
The suspect remained in police custody Monday. Officials had not announced formal charges, and the investigation into the attack and its motive remained active.
Author note: Last updated July 27, 2026.