Second Priest Killer Was Also Known To Police

The second assailant who slit the throat of a French priest at a church in Normandy has been identified as Abdelmalik Petitjean.

Petitjean, who is believed to be aged 20 and from France's Savoie region stormed the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray with 19-year-old Adel Kermiche during a service on Tuesday.

Fr Jacques Hamel, three nuns and two churchgoers were taken hostage before police shot dead the two terrorists as they ran from the building shouting "Allahu Akbar".

The 19-year-old was wearing an electronic tag at the time of the attack

Petitjean was identified through an ID found at Kermiche's home, French media reported. He is believed to have been on a watch list like Kermiche.

:: Christian Community In UK Warned To Be On Alert

DNA tests are being carried out on the second attacker to confirm his identity, judicial sources told Reuters.

Security forces in France are under scrutiny after it emerged Kermiche was under house arrest and wearing a tag, having twice tried to travel to Syria.

His tag was turned off for a few hours each morning to allow him to leave home - and it was in this time that Kermiche and Petitjean slit the 86-year-old's throat.

Father Jacques Hamel was ordered to kneel before he was killed

A third person, believed to be a 17-year-old male, is in custody in connection with the attack.

Petitjean was identified as churches across France held memorial services for the priest.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said France would bolster the operational reserve of its police force after 2,500 people asked to join up in the days after 84 people died in an IS-inspired attack on Bastille Day.

He also said more of the country's 10,000-strong Operation Sentinel anti-terror forces would be deployed to areas outside Paris following the lorry attack in Nice and the killing in Normandy.

He spoke after former president Nicolas Sarkozy accused Mr Hollande of being "out of touch" and called for detention or electronic tagging of all suspected Islamist militants - even if they have committed no offence.

But Mr Cazeneuve said: "We can't step back from the rule of law to protect the rule of law.

"If we abandon constitutional principles to protect that which we hold most dear - our liberty - we will be giving a victory to the terrorists."
The killing came just two weeks after the Bastille Day attack and is the latest of more than a dozen attacks attributed to Islamic extremists in France over the past two years.

Mr Hollande met with France's main religious leaders on Wednesday morning before attending a defence council and a cabinet meeting.

After the meeting, Paris Archbishop Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois urged Catholics not to "enter the game" of IS that "wants to set children of the same family in opposition to each other". 

:: History Of Deadly Attacks In France

French authorities are again trying to establish whether the Normandy attackers were part of a network after Islamic State claimed its "soldiers" were responsible.

The body of one of the two men who stormed the church

Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said Kermiche, 19, first came to the attention of anti-terror officials when a family member alerted them that he was missing in March 2015.

German officials arrested him and found he was using his brother's identity while trying to travel to Syria.

He was released under judicial supervision, but in May fled to Turkey where he was again arrested and returned to France. He was then held in custody until March this year.

A neighbour of Kermiche in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, who gave his name only as Redwan, said he had known who was responsible as soon as he heard about the attack.

"I was told that an attack occurred and I knew it was him, I was sure," he said.

"He said to us 'Yes, I tried (to go to Syria).' Then we tried to bring him to his senses, every time we did it and every time he was bringing in a verse from the Koran, he was inventing things."

An 86-year-old worshipper remains in hospital in a serious condition after suffering knife wounds during the hour-long siege.

He had been forced to record the killing of the priest before he was slashed by the attackers.

Disney Could Track Park Guests Using Their Feet

​Disney has patented a system to track guests at its theme parks using their shoes.

The system would use cameras and sensors to scan people's footwear on arrival, and track them as they move around the grounds.

It would let Disney build a picture of which rides, shops and shows are proving popular during a typical visit.

The data could then influence how its parks are designed and adapted in the future.

The patent application outlines Disney's plans

The application - filed in 2015 and granted this week - describes placing feet sensors at the entrance area.

A robot would also interact with guests as they pass, allowing it to collect a depth image of at least one foot.

According to the patent papers: "The robot includes a foot sensor for capturing a depth image of at least one foot of a guest and a camera for capturing a colour image of at least one foot of the guest.

Sensors and cameras would be placed at foot-level

"The robot may also include a movement mechanism allowing the robot to roam the amusement park or portion thereof and an input/output interface for receiving guest information from the guest."

Disney describes "hiding" the sensors to blend in with the park, because customers do not like being watched.

Disney says that tracking shoes is easier than tracking faces, because of the wide variations in the appearance, size and colour of footwear.

It added: "As the identification sensors ... are angled towards the ground, the background surrounding the person's feet is often easier to identify and account for when extracting the foot information from the sensor data."

Disney Could Track Park Guests Using Their Feet

​Disney has patented a system to track guests at its theme parks using their shoes.

The system would use cameras and sensors to scan people's footwear on arrival, and track them as they move around the grounds.

It would let Disney build a picture of which rides, shops and shows are proving popular during a typical visit.

The data could then influence how its parks are designed and adapted in the future.

The patent application outlines Disney's plans

The application - filed in 2015 and granted this week - describes placing feet sensors at the entrance area.

A robot would also interact with guests as they pass, allowing it to collect a depth image of at least one foot.

According to the patent papers: "The robot includes a foot sensor for capturing a depth image of at least one foot of a guest and a camera for capturing a colour image of at least one foot of the guest.

Sensors and cameras would be placed at foot-level

"The robot may also include a movement mechanism allowing the robot to roam the amusement park or portion thereof and an input/output interface for receiving guest information from the guest."

Disney describes "hiding" the sensors to blend in with the park, because customers do not like being watched.

Disney says that tracking shoes is easier than tracking faces, because of the wide variations in the appearance, size and colour of footwear.

It added: "As the identification sensors ... are angled towards the ground, the background surrounding the person's feet is often easier to identify and account for when extracting the foot information from the sensor data."

Disney Could Track Park Guests Using Their Feet

​Disney has patented a system to track guests at its theme parks using their shoes.

The system would use cameras and sensors to scan people's footwear on arrival, and track them as they move around the grounds.

It would let Disney build a picture of which rides, shops and shows are proving popular during a typical visit.

The data could then influence how its parks are designed and adapted in the future.

The patent application outlines Disney's plans

The application - filed in 2015 and granted this week - describes placing feet sensors at the entrance area.

A robot would also interact with guests as they pass, allowing it to collect a depth image of at least one foot.

According to the patent papers: "The robot includes a foot sensor for capturing a depth image of at least one foot of a guest and a camera for capturing a colour image of at least one foot of the guest.

Sensors and cameras would be placed at foot-level

"The robot may also include a movement mechanism allowing the robot to roam the amusement park or portion thereof and an input/output interface for receiving guest information from the guest."

Disney describes "hiding" the sensors to blend in with the park, because customers do not like being watched.

Disney says that tracking shoes is easier than tracking faces, because of the wide variations in the appearance, size and colour of footwear.

It added: "As the identification sensors ... are angled towards the ground, the background surrounding the person's feet is often easier to identify and account for when extracting the foot information from the sensor data."

RAF Abduction Suspects' E-fit Images Released

Police have released e-fit images of two men who attempted to abduct an RAF serviceman.

The victim was approached by two men with a knife at RAF Marham, near Kings Lynn, Norfolk, at about 3pm on 20 July.

Police said the main suspect grabbed the serviceman, who is in his 20s, while he was jogging and tried to pull him into a dark Ford Galaxy.

In an ensuing scuffle the intended victim headbutted his attacker before punching him to the ground.

The second attacker went to the aid of his accomplice, giving the serviceman time to escape and seek help.

An investigation into the attempted abduction is being supported by counter-terror officers, but Norfolk Police says it is also looking into the possibility that the attack was a case of mistaken identity or the result of a drugs debt or domestic dispute.

RAF Marham, near where the serviceman was jogging when he was attacked

The serviceman, who was not in uniform at the time, was unharmed.

Police continue to hunt for the suspects, who they have described as being Middle Eastern in appearance.

The first attacker is aged between 20 and 30, about 6ft tall, of athletic but stocky build. 

The second suspect is also said to be aged between 20 and 30, but is younger than his accomplice.

He is described as slimmer and about 5ft 10in tall.

Detective Superintendent Paul Durham said: "It is probable that there would have been a degree of planning involved and, in order to achieve this, it is quite possible that there was at least one other person involved."

Police outside RAF Marham last week

Det Supt Durham added that sourcing CCTV footage of the attack has proved "very challenging".

He said: "The quality is a bit hit and miss and it is a significant geographic area that we are aiming to target to try and ensure that we have boxed off any potential exit and entrance routes into the scene.

"That is going to take a significant amount of time to do.

"We are making good progress but we have not had that breakthrough that we need through CCTV or indeed through anything else."

RAF Marham is home to four squadrons of Tornado bombers which have been flying raids against Islamic State in Syria from Cyprus.

Anyone with information is asked to call the dedicated hotlines on either 0800 056 0154 or 0207 158 0011.

RAF Abduction Suspects' E-fit Images Released

Police have released e-fit images of two men who attempted to abduct an RAF serviceman.

The victim was approached by two men with a knife at RAF Marham, near Kings Lynn, Norfolk, at about 3pm on 20 July.

Police said the main suspect grabbed the serviceman, who is in his 20s, while he was jogging and tried to pull him into a dark Ford Galaxy.

In an ensuing scuffle the intended victim headbutted his attacker before punching him to the ground.

The second attacker went to the aid of his accomplice, giving the serviceman time to escape and seek help.

An investigation into the attempted abduction is being supported by counter-terror officers, but Norfolk Police says it is also looking into the possibility that the attack was a case of mistaken identity or the result of a drugs debt or domestic dispute.

RAF Marham, near where the serviceman was jogging when he was attacked

The serviceman, who was not in uniform at the time, was unharmed.

Police continue to hunt for the suspects, who they have described as being Middle Eastern in appearance.

The first attacker is aged between 20 and 30, about 6ft tall, of athletic but stocky build. 

The second suspect is also said to be aged between 20 and 30, but is younger than his accomplice.

He is described as slimmer and about 5ft 10in tall.

Detective Superintendent Paul Durham said: "It is probable that there would have been a degree of planning involved and, in order to achieve this, it is quite possible that there was at least one other person involved."

Police outside RAF Marham last week

Det Supt Durham added that sourcing CCTV footage of the attack has proved "very challenging".

He said: "The quality is a bit hit and miss and it is a significant geographic area that we are aiming to target to try and ensure that we have boxed off any potential exit and entrance routes into the scene.

"That is going to take a significant amount of time to do.

"We are making good progress but we have not had that breakthrough that we need through CCTV or indeed through anything else."

RAF Marham is home to four squadrons of Tornado bombers which have been flying raids against Islamic State in Syria from Cyprus.

Anyone with information is asked to call the dedicated hotlines on either 0800 056 0154 or 0207 158 0011.

RAF Abduction Suspects' E-fit Images Released

Police have released e-fit images of two men who attempted to abduct an RAF serviceman.

The victim was approached by two men with a knife at RAF Marham, near Kings Lynn, Norfolk, at about 3pm on 20 July.

Police said the main suspect grabbed the serviceman, who is in his 20s, while he was jogging and tried to pull him into a dark Ford Galaxy.

In an ensuing scuffle the intended victim headbutted his attacker before punching him to the ground.

The second attacker went to the aid of his accomplice, giving the serviceman time to escape and seek help.

An investigation into the attempted abduction is being supported by counter-terror officers, but Norfolk Police says it is also looking into the possibility that the attack was a case of mistaken identity or the result of a drugs debt or domestic dispute.

RAF Marham, near where the serviceman was jogging when he was attacked

The serviceman, who was not in uniform at the time, was unharmed.

Police continue to hunt for the suspects, who they have described as being Middle Eastern in appearance.

The first attacker is aged between 20 and 30, about 6ft tall, of athletic but stocky build. 

The second suspect is also said to be aged between 20 and 30, but is younger than his accomplice.

He is described as slimmer and about 5ft 10in tall.

Detective Superintendent Paul Durham said: "It is probable that there would have been a degree of planning involved and, in order to achieve this, it is quite possible that there was at least one other person involved."

Police outside RAF Marham last week

Det Supt Durham added that sourcing CCTV footage of the attack has proved "very challenging".

He said: "The quality is a bit hit and miss and it is a significant geographic area that we are aiming to target to try and ensure that we have boxed off any potential exit and entrance routes into the scene.

"That is going to take a significant amount of time to do.

"We are making good progress but we have not had that breakthrough that we need through CCTV or indeed through anything else."

RAF Marham is home to four squadrons of Tornado bombers which have been flying raids against Islamic State in Syria from Cyprus.

Anyone with information is asked to call the dedicated hotlines on either 0800 056 0154 or 0207 158 0011.