Three women stabbed in Paris knife attack; suspect arrested by off-duty police officer

The attack

On Monday, 27 July 2026, a man armed with two kitchen knives attacked three women near Porte de Clichy in north-west Paris at around 11:30. The victims, aged 19, 24 and 36, were walking by when the assault began. Witness Kheira Dellabed, a 54-year-old waitress in a neighbouring restaurant, described the scene to AFP:

Suddenly we saw a man pass by with two knives, he stabbed three people. Then a young man with a small suitcase hit him with the luggage, knocking him to the ground.

A waiter from another café then placed a chair over the suspect to hold him until police arrived.

Victims and injuries

The three women were treated by emergency services and taken to hospital. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told reporters that two had sustained serious wounds to the lower back and abdomen and were classified as "absolute emergency," while the third was more lightly injured. No life-threatening prognosis was given for any of them.

None of the three victims' lives are in danger, although two of them are in absolute emergency, therefore are injured quite seriously.

District mayor Geoffroy Boulard wrote on X that one of the victims was pregnant; the newspaper Le Parisien also reported the pregnancy. Nuñez did not mention a pregnancy during his midday briefing.

Suspect detained

An off-duty officer of the Paris police prefecture arrested the suspect shortly after the attack. Nuñez praised the officer's courage and thanked the civilians who intervened. The man, who had no identity papers, gave "incoherent statements," the minister said. Some witnesses reported hearing religious-sounding phrases, but Nuñez urged caution, calling the act "extremely violent" and stressing that "we must be very prudent about the motive." France's anti-terrorist prosecutor said it was monitoring the case.

Reactions

Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire sent "all my thoughts to the victims" and expressed "deep gratitude to the off-duty policeman who overpowered the assailant." Geoffroy Boulard praised the "cool-headedness, courage and immediate action of a policeman (off-duty) and passers-by."