France Nearly Surrenders to Lone Gunman

Poor France. They tried to surrender but just couldn't quite do it.

Mohammad Merah murdered seven people (3 soldiers, 3 Jewish children, and 1 rabbi) over the course of a week. French police managed to corner Merah in an apartment building and then started to negotiate. Merah strung the French police along, telling them he would come out after dark and then reneging. The police were no better as they threatened to storm the building, started to attack, and then backed off.

After nearly 32 hours, someone in the police department grew a pair and ordered the men in. Merah pinned himself in a bathroom and came out guns blazing. Overwhelmed by the ferocity of the attack, the police retreated. Merah then attempted to get away by jumping out a window. It has not yet been released as to whether Merah was killed due to the fall or if he was shot while climbing out the window. The police are stating that they did have snipers on the surrounding buildings so it is possible (and probably likely) that a sniper took him out while he was climbing out the window.

Props to the men who took out the scumbag but there is no way he should have been able to hold the police off as long as he did. Not only did it give him a platform to parade on but it gave him far too much time to set booby traps and other nasty surprises had he been so inclined. The French got lucky that only two of their men were injured in the attack. Hopefully they learn from this and if it happens again, they will act quicker and more decisively.