Beltrame was shot in the throat at the end of a four-hour supermarket siege in the quiet town of Trèbes, near Carcassonne, in southern France on Friday.

The gendarme had volunteered to take the place of several hostages woman being held by Radouane Lakdim, who had shot a member of staff and a customer at the store, after shouting his allegiance to Islamic State. Collomb had said on Friday that Lakdim allowed Beltrame to take the place of one woman he was holding.

Earlier, the 25-year-old had hijacked a car, shooting and seriously injuring the driver and killing the passenger, and had shot at a group of police reserves playing football.