Charlie Hebdo hostage suing French TV for allegedly 'endangering' his life

DAMMARTIN EN-GOELE, France, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Reports surfaced Tuesday of a former Charlie Hebdo magazine employee, who is suing multiple French television channels for potentially endangering his life.

Lepere, 26, was forced to hide for eight hours in a cabinet under a sink as two brothers, Cherif and Said Kouachi, sieged the French print works Charlie Hebdo in Dammartin en-Goele, which is located about 25 miles from Paris.

The brothers had been on the run for two days before they sieged Charlie Hebdo and killed 12 people. Lepere remembers having to hold still in the small space for fear of being detected by the unsuspecting terrorists, one of which even drew water from the sink above Lepere from which water then dripped on him.

Lepere's time under the sink allowed him to text-message anti-terrorism forces that were readying themselves outside the building.

Simultaneously, three French television and radio broadcasters (France TF1, France 2 and RMC radio) were transmitting the attack live, saying there may still be employees inside the building that the terrorists were not aware of.

This coverage, Lepere argues, could have further threatened his life because the brothers were probably watching the television coverage themselves.

The broadcasters being sued have not yet responded to Lepere's claims.