Former Soldier Fatally Shot by Police After Hostage Standoff in French Fromagerie

A 54-year-old man with PTSD was killed by police in Bidart, France, after taking a shopkeeper hostage and firing at officers with a replica firearm.

The incident occurred on the evening of March 11, 2025, in a fromagerie in Bidart, near Biarritz, where the man held the shopkeeper at knifepoint while wearing a clown mask.
Police responded to the scene after the hostage was forced to call them, with the suspect later confronting officers outside the shop while holding the victim at knifepoint and brandishing a fake firearm.
The suspect fired two shots at police with what was later determined to be a replica weapon, prompting officers to return fire, fatally wounding him.
The 54-year-old former military serviceman, who had served for 15 years and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, is believed to have staged the event as a suicide attempt, leaving behind a note reading 'Adieu.'
Two investigations have been launched: one into the suspect's actions, including attempted murder, and another into the police response, which has been deemed justified based on initial findings.