Charlie Hebdo Attack: Paris Cop Shot Dead in Street Was Muslim

PARIS — The French police officer whose point-blank murder by suspected Islamist extremists on a Paris street was caught on video was a Muslim, according to a colleague. Bicycle patrolman Ahmed Merabet was a 42-year-old married father, an official based at his police station told NBC News. The city's police union earlier called Merabet's killing an "assassination" but gave his age as 28. There was no explanation for the discrepancy.

Footage of Merabet's death emerged soon after Wednesday's attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, with amateur video showing a gunman in black wearing a balaclava shooting the injured cop in the head with an assault rifle.

Fellow officer Franck Brinsolaro was also killed, Paris police union spokesman Chris Crepin earlier told NBC News. Brinsolaro was assigned to guard Charlie Hebdo's editor Stephane Charbonnier. Tributes to both slain officers flooded social media, with #AhmedMerabet trending on Twitter.

Another police officer was fatally shot in a Paris street on Thursday but the incident was not thought to be directly linked to the Charlie Hebdo case.

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— Nancy Ing, F. Brinley Bruton and Francoise Decas-Reisz