Man Who Attacked Paris Police Officer Sentenced to 28 Years

A Paris court on Wednesday handed down a 28-year jail term to the Algerian man who attacked a police officer with a hammer in 2017 as officers guarded Notre Dame Cathedral.   Farid Ikken, now 43, was convicted of attempted terrorist murder.   Beginning with the 2015 terror attack in Paris on Charlie Hebdo magazine staff, in which 17 people were killed, France has been the site of several such incidents. Many of the attacks have targeted French security forces. In 2017, Ikken a former doctoral student, yelled, “This is for Syria,” before he charged officers outside the well-known tourist site. One officer was struck in the head with the hammer. Ikken was shot and wounded by other officers.   Prosecutors said that during a search of Ikken’s home, police found a declaration of allegiance to Islamic State in a self-filmed video on his computer. They say he appeared to have acted alone.  The trial began Monday. On Tuesday, Ikken testified that he had no regrets for his role in the incident, adding he still felt a “satisfaction of duty accomplished” after the attack. 
 
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