A man took refuge with hostages in a bank in Clermont-l’Hérault this Wednesday morning after a failed robbery attempt. The man, heavily armed, had “on him a revolver, a handgun and two heavy weapons”, explains the public prosecutor of Montpellier, Fabrice Bellargent. He was shot dead around 11:15 a.m. by the gendarmes, while he was still in the agency. “The intervention of the security forces in Clermont-l’Hérault is over. The risk is now lifted,” explained the prefecture shortly after.
The man, who allegedly acted alone, presented himself around 9:30 a.m. at the local branch of the Dupuy de Parceval bank in this town located about forty kilometers west of Montpellier. According to several testimonies, he fired several times. First on a window, then in the air. But as he was preparing to leave, he finally returned inside the establishment due to the rapid arrival of several gendarmerie vehicles.
The three hostages are safe, but shocked
An exchange of gunfire occurred and the area was completely cordoned off. The GIGN (National Gendarmerie Intervention Group) and the PSIG (Gendarmerie intervention surveillance platoon) quickly arrived to reinforce the soldiers of the Clermont-l’Hérault company, already on site.
Aged 47, the robber was finally shot dead. The three hostages, three bank agents, present inside the establishment, are unharmed, but in a state of shock. They had managed to take refuge inside the safe room. A fourth person who was near the agency was slightly injured.