Tour scare: spectator stabs police officer and gets shot at Rouen finish line

Just hours before Tadej Pogačar celebrated the 100th win of his professional cycling career on the fourth stage the 2025 Tour de France, a frightening incident unfolded near the finish line in Rouen, France.

Police officer stabbed, man shot at Tour de France

A man wielding a knife reportedly threatened several spectators and stabbed a riot police officer in the chest. Thankfully, the officer was wearing a protective vest, which prevented serious injury. The attacker was eventually subdued after being shot by police.

The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. local time, roughly two hours before the leaders crossed the finish line at around 5:30 p.m.

Suspect wanted by police, officer unharmed

According to French newspaper Le Parisien, the suspect is a 21-year-old man who had recently escaped from a psychiatric hospital and was wanted by authorities. After neutralizing the threat, officers provided medical attention to the wounded attacker.

“The officer was unharmed thanks to his bulletproof vest,” French police told local media outlets.

In the aftermath of the attack, the area around the team buses—just over 100 yards from the finish line—saw a noticeable increase in armed police presence compared to previous stages, AS reported.

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