(UPDATE) Manhunt in France After Armed Assailants Kill Guards and Free Prisoner Mohamed Amra in Shocking Ambush (Video)

This is a developing story that RAIR will be continuously updating as new information is released.

Update: 5-15-2024

The fugitive, Mohamed Amra, was accused 19 times between the ages of 11 and 14, mainly of violence, theft, and extortion. All these charges were systematically dismissed. No criminal prosecution.

[INFO @Europe1] Le fugitif, Mohamed Amra, a été mis en cause à 19 reprises entre l’âge de 11 et 14 ans pour des violences, des vols et des extorsions principalement. Tous ces faits ont systématiquement été classés sans suite. Aucune poursuite pénale. Le péché originel.

— William Molinié (@WilliamMolinie) May 15, 2024

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Incarville Tollbooth, Eure – May 14, 2024: In a shocking and violent terror attack this morning, armed assailants ambushed a prison van at the Incarville tollbooth in Eure. Around 11 a.m., a black Peugeot 5008 rammed the police van as it emerged from the tollbooth on a major highway about 85 miles northwest of Paris. Hooded men with automatic weapons leaped from the car, encircling the van and firing on it with unhurried precision for more than two minutes. When they were through, two prison guards were dead—the first to be killed in the line of duty in 32 years—and three more were wounded. The still-handcuffed prisoner, Mohamed Amra, known as “The Fly” or “High-Flying Bandit,” escaped, setting off a manhunt involving several hundred officers.

The Attack

The prison convoy, en route from the Rouen court to the Évreux remand center, came under heavy weapons fire at the toll booth on the A154 motorway, located in the town of Val-de-Reuil. A Peugeot vehicle, “stolen a few days previously” in the Seine-et-Marne department, was waiting for the van, parked on the side of the Incarville toll booth. When the van passed the toll barrier, it was hit head-on by the Peugeot. Men with long weapons got out, joined by other armed men who were probably following the van. They opened fire and shot dead two prison officers without warning, injuring three others before extracting Mohamed Amra.

The operation lasted less than two minutes. According to remote surveillance videos obtained by BFMTV, the prison convoy was targeted around 11 a.m. The video shows the vehicle used as a battering ram against the convoy, causing a head-on collision and stopping the first van. Subsequently, the two vehicles in the convoy were targeted by heavy weapons fire from a commando hooded and dressed in black. The video of the assault shows Amra being taken out of the van.

The fugitives left aboard two vehicles found burned in Houetteville and Gauville-la-Campagne, about thirty kilometers south of the tollbooth, in the suburbs of Évreux. One of the vehicles used during Amra’s escape was recently stolen in the town of Pontault-Combault.

The Victims

The victims, identified as agents from the Regional Center for Judicial Extractions (PREJ) in Caen, included Fabrice Moello, 52, and Arnaud Garcia, 35. Moello, a prison administration captain since 1996, was in a civil partnership and the father of twins who were about to celebrate their 21st birthday. Garcia, a brigadier supervisor since 2009, was married and expecting his first child. Three other officers, aged 48, 52, and 55—all fathers—were seriously injured, with two in critical condition.

Mohamed Amra: The Fugitive

Mohamed Amra, a 30-year-old inmate, is notorious in law enforcement circles. He was convicted just last week for aggravated thefts in supermarkets and businesses around Évreux, receiving an 18-month prison sentence. Additionally, Amra faces charges of intentional homicide related to a drug trafficking incident in Aubagne in June 2022. Known for his criminal ingenuity, Amra attempted to escape from the Évreux remand center on May 12 by sawing through the bars of his cell.

Amra has a heavy legal profile, with 13 convictions appearing on his record since 2009, mainly for aggravated theft and extortion. Detained since January 2022, Amra has been serving several sentences, including three years in prison for criminal conspiracy, extortion, burglary, and violence with a weapon. He had also been in pre-trial detention since September 2023 for complicity in murder by an organized gang, a case investigated in Marseille.

Mohamed Amra’s Mother’s Reaction

Amra’s mother, visibly distraught, spoke out for the first time since her son’s dramatic escape. “I broke down, I cried, I was not well,” she told RTL. Expressing her profound sadness over the deadly attack, she questioned the loss of life, “How can we take lives like that?” referring to the prison officers who died in the ambush. She criticized the authorities for frequently transferring her son between prisons and placing him in solitary confinement instead of providing a final judgment.

Amra’s mother claimed she was unaware of her son’s escape plan. “I went to Baumettes to see him; he was in solitary confinement. I went to (the prison of) Évreux once. He spoke normally; he didn’t show me anything. I don’t understand.” Her statements underscore the emotional toll the situation has taken on the families involved and raise questions about the management of high-risk inmates.

Investigation and Community Support

The National Jurisdiction for the Fight against Organized Crime (JUNALCO) has taken charge of the investigation, focusing on multiple charges, including “murder in an organized gang,” “escape with organized crime,” and “possession of war weapons.” The Eure prefecture established a psychological support unit for witnesses and those affected by the attack, and local organizations have mobilized to assist the victims’ families.

Following the escape, the Épervier plan was swiftly enacted, mobilizing 200 gendarmes from Eure and neighboring departments, including Seine-Maritime, Calvados, Val-d’Oise, and Yvelines. Helicopters are surveying the area, and the elite GIGN unit from Versailles is on-site to support local investigators. Systematic vehicle checks and strategic area controls are being executed in an intense search for Amra and his accomplices.

Political and Public Reactions

Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti, visibly shaken, confirmed the critical condition of two of the injured officers and emphasized the severity of the situation. “This is an unprecedented tragedy since 1992,” he remarked, calling for national reflection on prison security measures. Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin vowed that “all means are being used to find these criminals.”

President Emmanuel Macron expressed the nation’s shock and solidarity with the victims’ families and colleagues. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal paid tribute to the fallen officers in a National Assembly address. The incident has triggered widespread political responses.

Inter-Union Reaction and Upcoming Meetings

In response to the tragedy, the inter-union representing prison staff held a “dead prison” day across France on Wednesday, demanding immediate action to address security concerns. Minister Dupond-Moretti met with the inter-union representatives at 2 p.m., and a minute of silence was observed at 11 a.m. to honor the victims.