One wonders if there is any number of attacks like these that would break through the fog of willful ignorance surrounding the nature and magnitude of this threat, and move authorities in France and elsewhere to respond realistically and speak honestly about what we are facing.
Probably not.
“New terror in Paris as female police officer is shot dead and street cleaner blasted in the face as he grappled with ‘North African wielding assault rifle and wearing bullet-proof vest,'” by Peter Allen, Daily Mail, January 8, 2015 (thanks to Thomas Pellow):
A policewoman was shot in the back and killed and a hero street cleaner was shot in the face as he tried to grapple with the gunman in a second horrific attack on the streets of Paris within 24 hours.
The officer, who has not been named, died this morning after being attacked just before dawn in Montrouge, a suburb in the south of the French capital.
A street cleaner who stepped in to try and disarm the gunmen is also said to be in a serious condition, after he was shot in the face.
The shooting came less than 24 hours after the massacre at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, which left 12 dead – including two police officers.
It is not known if the two attacks are linked.
France’s top security official Bernard Cazenueve said the officer hurt in this morning’s attack – reported to be a trainee – had stopped to investigate a traffic accident when the firing started.
The gunman is believed to have been driving one of the cars.
‘There was an officer in front of a white car and a man running away who shot,’ said Ahmed Sassi, who saw the shooting from his home nearby.
He said the shooter wore dark clothes but no mask.
‘It didn’t look like a big gun because he held it with one hand,’ Sassi said….