PARIS – The Paris prosecutor’s office says a 27-year-old American man has been given preliminary charges of attempted murder in an exceptionally violent attack on police in their patrol car that drew national attention.
The suspect is among five people given preliminary charges in the incident, in which masked protesters were caught on video smashing and torching the car while two officers were inside. It symbolized tensions between police and protesters amid months of demonstrations against a bill weakening worker protections.
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Prosecutor’s office spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre said Sunday that the man has no fixed address and is in custody. His identity wasn’t released.
Le Figaro newspaper reported that the man, under police questioning, denied a role in the violence.
The U.S. Embassy in Paris had no comment.