French Gendarme Who Swapped Places With Hostage During Siege Dies

[Bernardo de La Paz]

Source: Reuters via HuffPo

PARIS, March 24 (Reuters) - France was in mourning on Saturday for a French security officer who died from gunshot wounds after voluntarily taking the place of a female hostage during a supermarket siege by an Islamist militant.

Arnaud Beltrame, 44, a gendarme who once served in Iraq, had been raced to hospital fighting for his life after being shot by the gunman during the siege at the Super U store in the southwestern town of Trebes near the Pyrenees mountains.

“He fell as a hero, giving up his life to halt the murderous outfit of a jihadist terrorist,” President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement shortly before dawn on Saturday.

...

He offered to trade places with a hostage the attacker was still holding, whereafter he took her place and left his mobile phone on a table, line open. When shots rang out, elite police stormed the building to kill the assailant. Police sources said Beltrame was shot three times.



Read more: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/french-supermarket-siege-police-officer-dead_us_5ab62c11e4b0decad04a2862

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Beltrame is a true hero, not some over-paid athlete or entertainer.

[SonofDonald]

1. Now that was a real man

[dalton99a]

2. A true hero, indeed.

[denbot]

3. France has a President that recognizes heroics, instead of his own ego

Rest In Peace Mssr Beltrame

[forgotmylogin]

4. Chivalry is not dead.

[Boomerproud]

5. Such a tragic ending to a heroic life.

He will be remembered and the nobody that killed him will be thrown onto the scrapheap.

[bottomofthehill]

6. Not to be to religious but

John 15:13 (BBE) Greater love has no man than this, that a man gives up his life for his friends.

Arnaud Beltrame made the ultimate sacrifice, he swapped positions with a civilian knowing this could be the outcome and yet, he still did it. He is a true public servant and a true hero.

Gendarme Beltrame, you are a credit to your profession and to the human race. You will be missed but may your loss bring some good to the world. Your unselfish action shows amazing bravery and humanity.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. Yes, and more. Beltrame surely did not know the hostage he substituted for. . . . nt

[bsiebs]

7. A hero yes... but whats with that last comment?

“Beltrame is a true hero, not some over-paid athlete or entertainer. “

What on earth is the purpose of that stupid comment? It actually takes away from Beltrames heroic act...

[LisaM]

12. I couldn't agree more.

I was reading along and agreeing and then out comes that gratuitous insult.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. I was insulting overpaid entertainers & athletes, not Beltrame. Please see also post #14. . . nt

[LisaM]

18. It's not either/or.

I enjoy the arts and sorts and appreciate people who work hard to entertain me, putting it all out there. I couldn't do it. I just think it diminishes the comment to throw in a jab. The French themselves laud entertainers and athletes. I remember being in Paris and seeing the whole country gripped by the Tour de France, gathered around televisions at the Metro stations. That's all.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. I too applaud entertainers and athletes but I don't pedestalize them as heroes the way many do. . nt

[LanternWaste]

29. No doubt, it's important to your narrative to point out the irrelevant.

No doubt, it's important to your narrative to point something wholly irrelevant to the original story.

Else it's little more than simple petulance.

Flip of the coin, at this point.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

31. You always look in the mirror when you reply to me. You never agree or have a kind word.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. It is frequently said in popular culture that athletes & entertainers are heroes. It should stop.

An example from 1960: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/30198563.pdf?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

1962: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:MBu1Xq79ZHcJ:journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/107769906203900402+&cd=9&hl=en

Athletes: 24 million hits:
https://www.google.com/search?q=hero+athlete+-superhero

[uppityperson]

8. RIP Monsieur Arnaud Beltrame

[Ligyron]

9. That won't buy anybody Muslim in France any goodwill.

Unfortunately.

[oberliner]

20. Huh?

What does that mean?

[Ligyron]

21. That they'll tend to cast ALL Muslims in a negative light from this incident.

Unfortunately, that's what tends to happen.

[scipan]

23. well not me.

just the nihilism of islamic terrorists, contrasted with the humanity of this man.

[oberliner]

24. But what does that have to do with this guy's heroic actions?

I mean - he should certainly be honored for what he did.

[Ligyron]

25. Oh, absolutely.

and I'm sure no one on this board would hold anything against all Muslims for his death. But unfortunately, a significant part of the public will.

[LanternWaste]

30. Who argued otherwise...?

"he should certainly be honored for what he did..."

Who argued otherwise...?

I mean, part II.

[LudwigPastorius]

10. "True heroism...is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost,...

but the urge to serve others, at whatever cost." -Arthur Ashe

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. Excellent quote. Thanks. . . . nt

[LisaM]

13. I had heard that in Afghanistan, the French troops

we're considered the best trained and bravest. This reinforces that.

[BobTheSubgenius]

17. No words...

[PatrickforO]

26. Now that is a real man.

Thanks for posting this. Reminds me of Anthony Borges at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Being willing to die for the sake of others...that is a nobleness of character that transcends words.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

27. It is worth noting that 15 year old man is an Hispanic IMMIGRANT from Venezuela. . . nt

[applegrove]

28. .