PARIS — The Champs-Elysees gunman who shot and killed a Paris police officer just days before France’s presidential election had a note with him defending the Islamic State group, France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor said Friday. Police investigating Thursday’s attack found a note praising ISIL that apparently fell from the pocket of French assailant Karim Cheurfi, Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins said. The French government pulled out all the stops to protect Sunday’s vote as the attack deepened France’s political divide. A key question was how the attack might affect French voters, since campaigning is banned starting Friday at midnight. For Sunday’s presidential vote, the government is mobilizing more than 50,000 police and gendarmes to protect the 70,000 polling stations, with an additional 7,000 soldiers also on patrol.

Source: National Post April 21, 2017 20:26 UTC