A 21-year-old Tunisian suspected of drug dealing was arrested this week in the city of Toulon after attacking French police officers, injuring two.
The incident took place at a known drug dealing area in Toulon last Saturday during the evening after a pair of officers belonging to the Specialized Field Brigades (BST) went to the area to watch for drug dealing activity.
As the officers were walking through the area they spotted a man who fled upon seeing them. They chased this individual, a 21-year-old migrant from Tunisia, who after a short pursuit violently pushed one of the officers and attacked another, biting his hand, broadcaster BFMTV reports.
The officers managed to again catch up to the Tunisian and subdued him, taking him into custody at the central police station of Toulon.
According to the broadcaster, the Tunisian was already known to the police.
As a result of the attack, both officers suffered injuries, with one official suffering a fractured tibia requiring surgery, and being granted 45 days of total incapacity from work.
The other officer suffered more minor wounds and was given three days of incapacity from work.
The attack is just the latest on French police, and comes after 2022 saw a number of attacks against officers by migrants.
In August, two North African migrants were arrested in Virtolles, near the city of Marseille in southern France, after they rammed a police vehicle, injuring four officers.
One of the migrants, an Algerian, was already subject to a deportation order and was on the French File of Wanted People, France’s criminal wanted list.
Just weeks later, an African migrant in Toulon attacked several police after entering a local police station, injuring five. Reports claimed that the African, originally from Mali, wanted to be allowed to return to his home country.