Paris Police: Officer Shoots Attacker Near Notre Dame

BALTIMORE (WJZ/AP) -- Paris police say a suspect who tried to attack an officer with a hammer has been shot by a police officer near the Notre Dame Cathedral.

A police spokesperson told The Associated Press a man armed with a hammer went after the police officer who was patrolling on the esplanade in front of Notre Dame Cathedral.

It is unclear whether the attacker was acting alone.

Large numbers of police cars filled the area on the Ile de Cite island in the River Seine in the center of Paris.

Paris is under high security after a string of Islamic extremist attacks in recent years.

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