France honors police officer slain in Paris attack

By Hajer M'tiri

PARIS

French President Francois Hollande and the two remaining presidential candidates attended Tuesday a memorial ceremony honoring the police officer who was shot dead in Paris last week in an attack claimed by Daesh.

Police officer, Xavier Jugele, 37, was part of a police patrol securing the Turkish cultural center on the iconic Champs-Elysees avenue, when a man opened fire on his vehicle with a Kalashnikov assault rifle last Thursday evening.

"Today, the entire nation expresses its deep appreciation and gratitude to Captain Jugele," said Hollande during a tribute in the inner courtyard of the Paris police headquarters attended by France's top officials and both presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen.

"Let him know that after him, others will rise to uphold freedom and human dignity, what he was committed to," Hollande added.

The French leader awarded the slain policeman one of France's highest honors -- the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor -- and was posthumously promoted to the rank of captain.

Two other police officers were injured in the assault, one of whom remains in hospital. The attacker was subsequently shot and killed by officers.

He was identified as Karim Cheurfi, 39-year-old French national, who was known by authorities as a criminal offender.

Hollande's speech also bore a political message to the two presidential candidates who will face each other in a runoff election on May 7.

To those "who will have to decide for tomorrow, I ask them to give the necessary budgetary resources to recruit the personnel essential for the protection of our fellow citizens. And to provide them with the means that will allow them to act even more effectively," Hollande said.

Macron passed ahead of the far-right candidate with 24.01 percent votes to Le Pen’s 21.30 percent in Sunday's first round, according to complete results published by the Interior Ministry on Monday evening.

Surveys projecting a second-round clash between Macron and Le Pen have consistently shown the centrist candidate winning by a comfortable margin.

The new president will be formally confirmed by mid-May.

The presidential poll is to be followed by two-round legislative elections in June.