A Moroccan migrant flashed his genitals, spat on police, and stabbed himself three times after allegedly hiding a knife in his anus.
The bizarre incident took place in the French city of Perpignan on Tuesday at around 7 am at the main railway station and saw the Moroccan arrested after border police officers attempted to pat him down twice.
After being taken to the police premises, the Moroccan allegedly became aggravated and aggressive, flashing his genitals to female staff members and spitting several times on police officers, Actu reports.
Despite the man having been searched by police, he still managed to pull out a knife that was allegedly hidden in his anus and threatened to harm himself while pointing the weapon at officers.
The officers made attempts to negotiate with the Moroccan but decided to subdue him with a taser. After the taser failed to have its desired effect, the migrant stabbed himself three times in the abdomen with the knife before he was disarmed.
The migrant was then rushed to a nearby hospital after officers performed first aid at the scene.
The union Alliance Police Nationale 66 commented on the incident, saying: “In recent years, our colleagues have increasingly been the target of hostile behaviour and aggression by foreigners in an irregular situation ready to do anything to avoid their deportation or placement in an administrative detention centre.”
Police continue to face threats of violence across France, and attacks on officers have increased drastically in recent years, doubling in the last two decades, according to French Ministry of the Interior statistics.
As many as 85 incidents against public authority officials take place per day, according to the report that was released in February of this year.
Criminality among migrants, particularly minors from North African countries, has also become a major security issue in the country.
In May, French Senator Henri Leroy spoke out about the trend, saying: “In Bordeaux, 40 per cent of delinquency is attributable to them, and the proportion was 24 per cent two years ago. The problem grows and threatens to infiltrate all sections of delinquency, trafficking, banditry… We need to stop this bleeding.”