A tragic incident occurred in Valenciennes, where a thirty-one-year-old man died from a shot fired by a municipal police officer. The intervention, which took place on Wednesday evening, ended with the death of a resident who had previously stabbed one of the intervening officers. The prosecutor's office has launched a murder investigation, and the officer who pulled the trigger has been detained. Authorities are examining the victim's mental state and the circumstances of the firearm use.

Death of a Valenciennes Resident

A 31-year-old man died in his apartment from a bullet fired by a municipal police officer during a domestic intervention.

Knife Attack on Officers

Before the shot was fired, the assailant managed to stab one of the three officers involved in the operation.

Murder Investigation

The prosecutor's office has brought a charge of voluntary homicide and placed the police officer in custody to investigate the legality of the weapon use.

The tragic events took place on the evening of Wednesday, February 18, 2026, in a district of Valenciennes, in the Nord department. Municipal Police were called for help by a neighbor who heard alarming screams coming from one of the apartments. A man was reportedly shouting: „call the police”. The three officers who arrived at the given address found the tenant armed with a knife. During an attempt to subdue the aggressor, one of the officers was injured. In response to the attack, another police officer fired a fatal shot. The victim is a 31-year-old man who lived alone and was not previously known to law enforcement. The Valenciennes prosecutor's office confirmed that a formal investigation for voluntary homicide has been launched, which is standard procedure when the use of a firearm by law enforcement results in death. French law regarding the use of weapons by uniformed officers was tightened after 2017, which regularly sparks public debate about the proportionality of measures used during interventions in life-threatening situations. A key element of the investigation will be determining the victim's state of mental health at the time of the incident. The police officer who fired the shot is currently in custody. Investigators are analyzing whether the principles of self-defense were observed. The tragic incident has caused a stir in the local community, especially since the victim himself had asked for the authorities to be called before the violence escalated. The investigation aims to precisely establish the circumstances of the facts and assess the mental state of the man who was shot. 31 years — was the age of the man shot by the officer Chronology of Events in Valenciennes: February 18, evening — Call to Authorities; February 18, evening — Start of Intervention; February 18, evening — Attack and Gunshot; February 19, morning — Investigation Launched