Hero French cop married partner on deathbed after taking place of supermarket siege hostage

The hero French police officer who was shot by an ISIS terrorist has married his long-time partner on his deathbed.

The ceremony was held in hospital just hours after officer Arnaud Beltrame was shot after walking unarmed into a supermarket to trade places with a female hostage.

The 44-year-old officer killed by by the 25-year-old extremist, who opened fire inside Super U market in the southern French town of Trebes on Friday.

Beltrame was rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds and married his partner Marielle hours before dying.

It’s understood the couple had a civil marriage service near Narbonne last year and was planning to have a church wedding mid this year.

A national ceremony is now being planned to formally honour the brave actions of Beltrame.

He surrendered his weapon but kept his mobile on, allowing authorities outside the supermarket to hear what was happening inside.

Special police units heard gunshots inside the store and stormed the building immediately, killing the attacker.

"Beyond his job, he gave his life for someone else, for a stranger," his brother, Cedric, told RTL radio in France.

"He was well aware he had almost no chance. He was very aware of what he was doing ... if we don't describe him as a hero, I don't know what you need to do to be a hero.”

President Emmanuel Macron said “Beltrame died in the service of the nation to which he had already given so much”.

"In giving his life to end the deadly plan of a jihadi terrorist, he fell as a hero,” he said.

French police have made a second arrest since the siege, taking a friend of the gunman, Moroccan-born Redouane Lakdim, into custody.

With Associated Press.