PARIS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A gendarme was killed overnight after being struck by a vehicle during a routine check operation in Ussat-les-Bains, Ariege, southwest France, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Sunday.
In a statement, Cazeneuve expressed "deep emotion and his great sadness after the death of Major Christian Rusig, commander of the Tarascon-sur-Ariege Gendarmerie Brigade, hit by a vehicle last night."
The French minister denounced "an odious act," and pledged "all necessary firmness" to punish the perpetrator who was "immediately arrested."
According to media reports, the car driver is a delinquent known to police for minor offenses.
