2nd LD: One policeman dead, another injured in Paris shooting

One policeman was killed, and another severely injured in a shooting incident Thursday evening on the Champs Elysees shopping street in Paris, the French interior ministry has confirmed.

The ministry also said the assailant was shot dead.

A spokesperson from the ministry told local broadcaster BFMTV that the police officers were "deliberately targeted", and the investigation into the motive of the attack is underway.

The gunman, armed with a machine gun, got out of a car and opened fire at the police in front of the store on the street, reports quoted a witness as saying.

Around 20 gunshots were fired around 8 p.m. local time, while shoppers were trapped in the stores, a source at the site told Xinhua.

The street was closed off shortly after the shooting, while a helicopter started patrolling the area.

Police vehicles with flashing lights were seen lining up along the street, and passengers were told to move away from the area.

The Paris police department has advised people to avoid going to the area on its Twitter account.

Concerns over security have been raised since Tuesday when two men were arrested for plotting an attack before the French presidential election, which is set to start on Sunday. Endit