Here’s more from the French justice minister’s media statement.

Eric Dupond-Moretti says during a transfer from a courthouse to a prison in Rouen, a man escaped, and his accomplices “didn’t hesitate to shoot the prison officers using heavy weapons”.

He says the two killed officers both had families – as we reported in the previous post.

Dupond-Moretti says he is now heading to Caen to meet the colleagues of the killed officers.

“My thoughts are with the other three seriously wounded officers who are now hospitalised,” he says.

“Everything – and I mean everything – will be put in place to find the perpetrators of this vile crime. [The perpetrators] are people for whom life has no value. They will be found and punished in a way proportionate to the crime.”