Three police officers were hit by lead shots from the guns and were treated for their injuries at the scene but the other policeman had to be taken into hospital.
Ms Alliot-Marie explained that when the French police arrived, they were attacked by "about 30 people whose faces were masked and several of whom were armed."
The minister said that some of the youths fired cartridges of lead shot and nails, and others threw stones and Molotov cocktails.
It took an hour-and-a-half to get order restored in the area and further police reinforcements had to be sent to the neighbourhood.
This incident is a follow up to riots that broke out last November when about 60 police were also injured.
