Two of the five people in police custody Monday morning in the investigation of the killing at the Paris police headquarters were released Tuesday night, a judicial source said Wednesday. Among them are the imam who officiated in a room of prayer of Gonesse (Val-d'Oise), stuck for radicalization, specified the judicial source. The other three were taken for 48 hours. In terms of terrorism, they can last up to four days, or even six in case of imminent threat of attack.
Perquisitions in several communes
The five held in custody, described as relatives of Mickaël Harpon, who killed four colleagues on October 3 in the premises of the prefecture before being shot by a police officer, were arrested on the night of Sunday to Monday in the Val -d'Oise. Searches had then been held in several communes of the department, including Gonesse, where lived Mickael Harpon. The investigation aims to understand if the attack is the result of a solitary madness on the background of autoradicalisation or whether Mickaël Harpon benefited for his murderous project of accomplices or inspiring.
Computer scientist employed since 2003 at the police headquarters, Mickaël Harpon was responsible for maintenance at the Directorate of Intelligence (DRPP). He had been converting to Islam for about ten years and was dating members of the Salafist movement. According to an internal report of his service after the attack, this administrative agent had justified in 2015 with some of his colleagues the Charlie Hebdo attack without being the subject of a "formal" report.