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A speech by French President Francois Hollande was interrupted when a sniper charged with protecting him accidentally fired.
A BUMBLING sniper charged with protecting French President Francois Hollande has accidentally fired his gun during a speech, injuring two people.
Mr Hollande was inaugurating the Paris-Bordeaux high-speed line in the southwestern French provincial town of Villognon on Tuesday when the police sharpshooter’s weapon accidentally discharged.
The bullet whizzed through a tent, through a waiter’s thigh and then lodged into the calf of a 20-year-old employee of Mesea, the company in charge of railroad maintenance, French newspaper Charente Libre reported.
According to the New York Post, the gendarme was positioned on a roof nearly 100 metres from where the president was speaking when he changed position and accidentally fired the errant shot.
The sniper, startled by the sound of gunfire, jumped into a kitchen to take cover and injured his foot, according to reports.
On a video of Mr Hollande’s speech posted on the Twitter account of the Elysee Palace, the French president is seen speaking on a platform in front of an audience when suddenly a loud shot is heard, nearly 17 minutes into his speech.
Mr Hollande briefly stopped speaking, looked in the direction of the noise and quietly said he hoped it was nothing serious, then that he didn’t think it was, and resumed his speech.
It was interrupted for less than 20 seconds.
The waiter and maintenance worker’s injuries were not serious, the top official of France’s Charente region, Pierre N’Gahane, said.
The regional prefect, speaking to journalists near the scene of the incident, said the gendarme, or military police officer, was located on a high spot, “his regular position,” when his weapon was fired.
Asked if the sharpshooter fired accidentally, Mr N’Gahane responded: “Yes, without doubt.”
He said two people suffered minor leg injuries.
“We were able to discuss with them immediately afterward,” he said.
Mr N’Gahane said a judicial probe has been launched under the supervision of the local prosecutor.
An administrative inquiry will also be carried out, and the gendarme will have to give an account of what happened, he said.