An alert has been sounded across Paris on Sunday after two men in a car crashed through the Tour de France Barricade, forcing the police to open fire.
The shooting took place around 8 am near Place de la Concorde, which is the final leg of the Tour de France race.
The man behind the wheel, crashed into a vehicle at a high-speed, LExpress reported. Though police tried to force the driver out of the vehicle, he drove straight into the police, forcing them to fire at the car. However, the driver was able to break the Tour de France Barricade.
The police said the driver may have been injured in the shooting, MYTF1News reported.
"A car seemed to have involved in some kind of accident and tried to get through a security barrier," eyewitnesses told The Daily Mail. It is being reported that multiple shots were fired at the driver.
It is also being reported that there were two occupants in the car. The police are now going through security footage in the area to trace the car and its occupants.
Security in Paris was already on alert, especially as hundreds of people were expected to gather around Place de la Concorde and the Champs Elysees for the final leg of the Tour de France.
Place de la Concorde is a prime administrative block, which houses key official buildings such as Elysee palace and the US embassy in Paris.
The Associated Press reported that the riders will arrive in Paris around 5.30 pm local time and will finish the race at Place de la Concorde at about 7 pm.
The final stage of the Tour de France will begin at 4:35 pm in Sevres, a town southwest of Paris.
More details awaited...
