Custody of deadly shooting suspect lifted for health reasons

Custody of deadly shooting suspect lifted for health reasons
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The man who was captured with a gun and loaded magazines during the attack will appear before an investigating judge "when his state of health allows."

The detention order for the man suspected of killing three Kurds in Paris was lifted for "health reasons," and he was taken to a police psychiatric unit, the prosecutor said on Saturday.

"The doctor who examined the suspect today in the late afternoon said that the state of health of the person concerned was not compatible with the measure of custody. The custody measure has therefore been lifted pending his presentation before an investigating judge when his state of health allows," the Paris prosecutor said.

The suspect - a 69-year-old retired train conductor who the authorities said had recently been freed from detention while awaiting trial for a sabre attack on a migrant camp in Paris a year ago - was captured in the scene of the attack that left three dead and three injured.

The man, identified as William M., was reportedly carrying a US Army Colt 1911 pistol, a box of at least 25 cartridges and two or three loaded magazines. He told investigators that he is a racist.

According to the Kurdish Democratic Council in France (CDK-F), the dead included one woman and two men. Emine Kara (Evin Goyi) was a leader of the Kurdish Women's Movement in France, the organisation's spokesman Agit Polat said. Her claim for political asylum in France had been rejected. The other victims were Abdulrahman Kizil and Mir Perwer (Mehmet Sirin Aydin), a political refugee and artist.

A demonstration, organized by CDF-K, was held at Republic Square on Saturday, followed by violent incidents in which cars were overturned, shop windows were damaged and small fires set alight near the square.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said a few dozen protesters were responsible for the violence, adding there were 11 arrests and around 30 minor injuries.

The protest by Kurds was headlined by Turkish state media, "Supporters of PKK terror group turn Paris into battlefield, injure 31 police officers."