Freed to kill
PARIS GUN TERRORIST KNOWN TO POLICE Gunman ‘tried to buy weapons to target cops’ ‘No evidence’ so he was let go just eight weeks ago
THE terrorist who shot dead Paris policeman Xavier Jugeme was arrested eight weeks ago trying to “buy guns to kill officers”.
But known criminal Karim Cheurfi was allowed to go free and went on to secure the AK47 with which he murdered Mr Jugeme with two shots to the head.
In 2015 the officer helped survivors flee the Bataclan massacre in the city.
A year later he returned for a concert to re-open the venue, saying: “This is to celebrate life, to say no to terrorists.”
Mr Jugeme, who twice visited Greece to help migrants, died on the Champs Elysee on Thursday evening just 60 hours before the first round of France’s presidential election. Two other officers were hurt.
Cheurfi is said to have got out of his car next to a stationary police bus and opened fire through the window before officers returned fire, shooting him dead.
A pump-action shotgun, knives, a Koran and a note praising Islamic State were found in the car.
Last night the authorities were under pressure to explain a series of blunders. Cheurfi had been freed 10 years early after trying to murder two police officers in 2003.
And officials said he was held at Meaux, north east of Paris, on February 23 after informants indicated he was “seeking to obtain weapons to kill policemen”.
Paris prosecutor Francois Molin said hunting knives, masks and a GoPro camera found at his home were not considered sufficient proof of his murderous intent.
He added: “At that stage, no link with the radical Islamist movement was apparent. Nothing justified further inves-
tigations by my office.” More details emerged yesterday of the 39-year-old French national who occasionally ran a market clothes stall, lived at home with his mum and spent hours on his Xbox.
Jean-Laurent Panier, his ex lawyer, said: “Cheurfi was a loner. He never spoke to me about religion. He was filling his days with video games on Xbox.
“His brothers and father were concerned he was very isolated. But his obvious psychiatric frailty has not been taken into account enough, it is undeniable.” Yesterday police raided the killer’s home in Chelles in the eastern suburbs of Paris and reported finding “inflammatory material”. Despite being on police radar, Cheurfi felt confident enough to recently apply for a hunting licence. Friends said he was a loner since coming out of prison. One added: “Karim did not pray, he drank alcohol and watched jihadist propaganda. He blamed the police for ruining his life.
“He fired at them during a burglary and got 15 years. He hated the police and said they had ruined his life. He would swear at officers in the street – call them bastards. He didn’t care.
“He was not a good Muslim, he was a lost soul. He had no friends, no girlfriend. He stayed at home all day watching stuff on the internet.”
Four people were arrested after the attack. Three, thought to be relatives of the killer, were held in Paris. One man gave himself up 220 miles away in Antwerp, Belgium. French police union boss Jean-Claude Delage said: “All officers are in a state of emotion but also anger. Fanatics have been saying for a long time that they would be targets.
“Once again an officer has paid with his life for doing his job.”
Mr Jugeme’s colleagues described him as “good living” and “helpful”. He twice went to Greece to help migrants at the height of the crisis in 2015 and 2016.
French PM Bernard Cazeneuve said security forces were fully mobilised for Sunday’s election. IS claimed responsibility for the attack, naming the gunman as Abu Yusuf al-Beljiki, alias “the Belgian”.
WE are delighted knee-jerk calls to cancel tomorrow’s French elections were ignored following the killing of a Paris police officer by a crazed Islamist.
Going to the polls is an exhilarating act of public defiance of terror. But voters must show extremists they won’t be intimidated into falling for neo-fascist Marine Le Pen.
Britain showed determination to carry on as normal after the Westminster killings. France must continue to do the same.