A French policeman patrols inside the Gare du Nord train station in Paris on April 22, 2017, after a man carrying a knife was arrested. (AFP / GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT)
PARIS: A knife-wielding man threatened police at Gare du Nord train station in Paris on Saturday, causing panic before he was arrested, a spokesman for French rail operator SNCF said.
The incident occurred a day before France holds the first round of its presidential election. The country is on alert following the killing of a policeman by an militant on Thursday.
The SNCF spokesman said the man had approached gendarmes patrolling the train station. He was told to lie down and followed the orders before he was arrested.
A French police official told The Associated Press that a man carrying a knife walked into the station and was flagged to police, who arrested him immediately. Video online shows heavily armed police surrounding a prone man as travelers hurried past.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly.
The scene led panic among passengers who tried to flee the scene, a witness told Reuters, adding that trains have been delayed.
The Gare de Nord is one of the French capital's top transit hubs, serving the city's metro, suburban trains as well as intercity and high-speed trains like the Eurostar from London.
