Guards Thwart 'Assassin' at Sarkozy Home

Armed man tackled by security as he tries to enter palace grounds
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 16, 2008 3:11 AM CST
Guards Thwart 'Assassin' at Sarkozy Home
French President Nicolas Sarkozy gestures during a speech at the Elysee Palace at a Paris reception of mayors of French overseas territories last month.   (AP Photo/Gerard Cerles, Pool)

French authorities foiled a suspected assassin trying to storm the presidential palace yesterday, the Daily Mail reports. The man, armed with a knife and an electric stun-gun type of weapon, tried to slip past guards at President Nicolas Sarkozy's residence. He was stopped at gunpoint after a violent struggle and is being held in custody for questioning.

The security team is treating the incident as an attempt on Sarkozy's life, said a French official. The 25-year-old suspect had concealed the weapons under a heavy, military-style jacket. Sarkozy was inside the palace at the time, holding a meeting with Montenegro's prime minister.
(More France stories.)

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