Paris Terrorist Had Letter Defending Islamic State On Him When He Launched Attack On Police

Matt Vespa | April 21, 2017 1:45 PM

Here’s what we know about the Paris attack that is being treated as an act of terrorism. One man reportedly wielding an AK-47 opened fire on police in Paris’s famed Champs-Élysées boulevard. One police officer was killed, while two others were wounded, along with another civilian, according to The New York Times. The Islamic State claimed responsibility. The shooting suspect, Karim Cheurfi (aka Abu Yusuf al-Beljiki) was killed in the attack. He had been on the radar of French security services before, having engaged police in a shootout back in 2001. The Daily Caller Foundation’s Russ Read reported that the suspect stole a car, crashed into a French police trainee’s car, and that eventually led to the shootout. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, which was reduced to 15 years. Now, the Associated Press says that the shooter had a letter defending the Islamic State on him:

The Paris prosecutor says the Champs-Elysees attacker had a note defending the Islamic State group with him when he opened fire on police officers.
Anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins said during a news conference Friday that the note apparently fell out of the pocket of Karim Cheurfi, a 39-year-old with a criminal record.

Molins says the note praised IS and listed the addresses of security sites.

The extremist group claimed Thursday's attack in which one police officer was killed. Cheurfi was shot and killed by officers.

Molins said Cheurfi had a long police record, notably for trying to attack police in the past. The prosecutor said Cheurfi was arrested in February, but later released for lack of evidence of a threat.

The French prosecutors have opened a terrorism investigation, French President Francois Hollande said that this will likely be a terrorist attack, ISIS claimed responsibility, a letter defending the terror organization was on the shooter, and the attack targeted police officers. We knew how the French president and the prosecutors felt relatively soon following the attack, but MSNBC was quick to criticize President Trump for calling it a terrorist attack during his joint presser with the Italian prime minister yesterday. The godfather of fake news, Brian Williams, said, “President Trump said right off the bat to a question looks like another terrorist attack in France that we have not been comfortable to call it that or report that but we'll have more reporting upcoming.”