{"id":581,"date":"2018-03-28T16:23:16","date_gmt":"2018-03-28T14:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/?p=581"},"modified":"2018-03-28T16:23:16","modified_gmt":"2018-03-28T14:23:16","slug":"france-holds-state-funeral-for-police-hero-of-trebes-siege","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/?p=581","title":{"rendered":"France holds state funeral for police hero of Tr\u00e8bes siege"},"content":{"rendered":"

France has honoured its\u00a0heroic gendarme Arnaud Beltrame<\/a>, who died saving hostages\u2019 lives at a supermarket siege last week, with all the respect, gratitude and emotion the grieving country could muster.<\/p>\n

In a state ceremony that conveyed France\u2019s pride and profound sadness, President\u00a0Emmanuel Macron<\/a>\u00a0paid tribute on Wednesday to the officer who he said had the \u201cgratitude, admiration and affection of the whole country\u201d.<\/p>\n

It was the first time Macron had been called upon to deliver a state funeral homage since his election in May 2017. He stood grim-faced as the Marseillaise was played. His speech made reference to Joan of Arc, members of the French resistance and others who had died for the country.<\/p>\n

Before hundreds of people, including former presidents, government ministers, military officers and members of the public, Beltrame\u2019s coffin was carried into the cour d\u2019honneur at Les Invalides by 10 gendarmes who had known him. Hundreds more gathered outside.<\/p>\n

Beltrame\u2019s k\u00e9pi, the gendarmerie\u2019s headgear, in which he kept a photograph of himself with his wife, Marielle, and his decorations were carried by two officers. He was posthumously promoted to colonel and made a commander of the L\u00e9gion d\u2019Honneur.<\/p>\n

Beltrame was hailed a hero after\u00a0volunteering on Friday to take the place of a female hostage<\/a>\u00a0being held by the suspected Islamist gunman Radouane Lakdim, 25, who had already killed three people.<\/p>\n

Lakdim hijacked a car, gunning down a passenger, then stormed a busy supermarket in the town of Tr\u00e8bes near Carcassonne, killing a member of staff and a customer and declaring his allegiance to\u00a0Islamic State<\/a>. He was holding a 40-year-old woman hostage as police and special forces surrounded the building.<\/p>\n

Beltrame gave up his weapon and offered to take the place of the woman, named only as Julie, the mother of a two-year-old girl who worked on the checkout.<\/p>\n

After a three-hour siege, the gendarme was stabbed several times as he tried to disarm Lakdim. The gravely injured officer was flown by helicopter to hospital where he died a few hours later, his wife at his bedside.<\/p>\n

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Macron spoke of the long minutes that passed as Beltrame\u2019s colleagues watched as he \u201cput down his weapon and walked alone to join the terrorist\u201d.<\/p>\n