In a dramatic and violent incident on May 14th, 2024, armed assailants launched an ambush on a prison convoy in northern France. The attackers targeted a van transporting inmate Mohamed Amra between the courthouse in Évreux and the prison in Rouen. According to French authorities, two prison officers were killed during the assault, while three others were injured. The escaped prisoner, Mohamed Amra, was under investigation for his involvement in a kidnapping and homicide case in Marseille.
The attack on the convoy occurred near Incarville in the Eure area northwest of Paris. French Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti said that one of the deceased guards left behind a wife and two children, who were set to celebrate their 21st birthday in two days. The other guard’s spouse was five months pregnant at the time of his death.
In response to the attack, French authorities launched a massive manhunt for the escaped inmate and the assailants involved. Gendarmes and police officers were deployed to search for the perpetrators, with hundreds of personnel taking part in the operation. The interior minister of France, Gérald Darmanin, expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the ambush.
President Emmanuel Macron vowed that everything possible would be done to find those responsible for the attack and bring them to justice. “The Nation stands by the families, the injured and their colleagues,” he said. The French authorities have not yet identified the two officers who died in the ambush but have provided details of one of them, stating that he was married with two children and was expected to receive an award for his service shortly.
The escaped prisoner, Mohamed Amra, had been found guilty of theft by breaking and entering in a court in Évreux the previous week. He had also been under investigation for his involvement in a kidnapping case and homicide case in Marseille. The national unit specialized in organized crime will lead the investigation into the ambush and Mohamed Amra’s escape.
France has experienced relatively low levels of violence towards prison transports, making this incident an anomaly in their criminal justice system. The authorities have not yet disclosed any potential motives for the attack or identified any suspects beyond the fact that armed assailants were involved.
