PARIS -- Paris police were searching for four occupants of a car that struck a taxi and tried to crash barricades set up near the Tour de France finish line on Sunday morning, drawing police fire hours before the arrival of cyclists and spectators. Police said they didn't suspect terrorism.
Police found the car with bullet impacts not far from the Place de la Concorde where police opened fire, according to a police official and a ranking official close to the investigation.
The car carried two men and two women, one of whom was injured on her upper body, the ranking official said, citing a witness at a hotel where the group sought a glass of water for her.
Paris has been on edge since double attacks in January by Islamic extremists on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a Kosher grocery left 20 people dead, including the three attackers. Thousands of police and soldiers were deployed on the streets after the attack to protect sensitive sites and tourist attractions.
Police believe the car's occupants had left one of the nightclubs in the ritzy neighborhood, were intoxicated, or had taken illegal substances, and didn't want to submit to a police check, officials have said.
"The scenario is becoming clearer. The party ended badly," the ranking official said.
Officials put the time of the incident at 7:50 a.m. Paris time -- just under 10 hours before riders were due in the French capital.
Sports on 07/27/2015