But Molins confirmed police had found a note with handwritten messages defending Islamic State near his body, addresses of police establishments in his vehicle and a Koran. Scraps of paper scrawled with the addresses of police stations and a satchel of weapons, munitions and the Muslim holy book were discovered in his auto.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the shooting soon afterwards, in a statement identifying the attacker as "Abu Yousif al-Belgiki (the Belgian)". Cheurfi, 39, was shot and killed by officers at the scene. But the prosecutor said there was "a lack of known elements of radicalization" in the suspect's past and he was released for lack of evidence of a threat.
On Friday, police officers gathered at the spot where their colleague was killed to lay flowers and say farewell.
"The time has come to free the French people", she said at her election day headquarters in the northern French town of Henin-Beaumont, adding that nothing short of "the survival of France" will be at stake in the presidential runoff.
The French government pulled out all the stops to protect Sunday's vote as the attack deepened France's political divide.
"Nothing must hamper this democratic moment, essential for our country", Cazeneuve said after a high-level meeting Friday that reviewed the government's security plans.
"Barbarity and cowardice struck Paris last night", the prime minister declared, appealing for national unity and for people "not to succumb to fear". The assailant - Karim Cheurfi, a 39-year-old French national with a long and violent criminal record - was shot dead as he tried to make his escape.
The murdered police officer has been named as Xavier Jugelé and was said to be just days from celebrating his 38th birthday. Two people were injured and police detained three people as demonstrators burned cars, danced around bonfires and dodged riot police.
Police shot and killed Cheurfi after he opened fire on a police van. Cheurfi's identity was confirmed from his fingerprints.
The Daesh-claimed attack in the French capital, one of the world's most popular destinations among tourists, killed a policeman and wounded two more.
Boucek said she'd still be surprised if Le Pen became president, even if she does get more votes than expected before Thursday's attack. The people of France will not take much more of this.
The French president will be chosen in a runoff of the top two candidates on May 7.
At a televised news conference Friday, Le Pen called for the closure of all "Islamist" mosques in France, the expulsion of hate preachers and the reinstatement of French borders.
'Maria Sharapova is starting from ground zero,' says tennis association chief
She's had a year and a half". "It's an interesting match for sure, a hard match, a tricky match but I am happy". The FFT said that "the decision will be taken the week of [Monday] May 15, " without giving further details.
"In the United States, you can see what happens when people don't vote, or vote badly", he said.
France has been under a state of emergency since November 2015.
When the French vote for president Sunday, their choice will resonate far beyond France's borders, from Syrian battlefields to Hong Kong trading floors and the halls of the U.N. Security Council.
Fillon said that if elected, his foreign policy priority would be the destruction of ISIS.
Asked if the assault would impact voting, the centrist Macron said "no one knows" and appealed for cool heads.
With 90 percent of votes counted, the Interior Ministry said Macron had almost 24 percent, giving him a slight cushion over Le Pen's 22 percent.
Macron said he canceled campaign stops out of a sense of "decency" and to allow police to concentrate resources on the investigation.
Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve accused Le Pen of attempting to make political hay out of the killing, saying she was "seeking, as she does after every tragedy, to take advantage of it".
Adrien Gontier, an expat voting at the French embassy in Washington, said he was fulfilling his duty as a citizen.
"He represents France's future, a future within Europe", she said.
In Paris, voters were lining up early at polling stations.
The attack appeared to fit in a spreading pattern of French extremists targeting security forces and symbols of the state, to discredit, take vengeance and destabilize.
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