Former Liverpool star, Anthony Le Tallec, 38, has said that he had to tell the police to shoot a knifeman who was stabbing an elderly man.
It was reported that a man armed with a knife attacked a group of children aged around three years old as they played in a park.
Le Tallec who witnessed the incident gave an account of how the suspect attacked people at the Annecy playground in the French Alps on Thursday.
The ex-footballer said in an Instagram video post that he realised something was wrong while jogging around Lake Annecy as a wave of panicked bystanders rushed past him in the opposite direction.
He said, "A woman said that someone is stabbing everyone along the lakeshore and has knifed children.
"Suddenly the guy appeared in front of me, then I saw the police who were ten metres behind him but they hadn't managed to get him yet. He was so near to me so I got out of the way.
"I saw that he was heading straight for a group of elderly men and women. He attacks one grandpa and stabs him once, the cops can't catch him, so I tell the cops to shoot him.
"Then they start shooting, they shoot at the person, right in front of me, and he falls to the ground.
"After I continued on my way then I saw in front of the lake, children on the ground, so very sad."
National police force spokesman said the alleged assailant on Thursday's attacker was a 31-year-old Syrian asylum seeker who carried Swedish identity documents and a Swedish driving license.
Anthony Le Tallec played for Liverpool between 2001 and 2008 and later played for local club FC Annecy.