The family of slain Muslim police officer Ahmed Merabet is urging people not to equate Muslims with extremists, following a string of deadly attacks in three days in Paris that left 20 dead and the city reeling.

In an emotional statement issued Saturday, Merabet's brother Malek asked that no one try to avenge his brother's death, and reiterated that Islam is not about "terrorism or madness."

Ahmed was killed during an attack on satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday by two men who claimed to have a connection to al-Qaeda in Yemen. They were heard screaming, “Allahu akbar!” ("God is great" in Arabic) while storming the building.

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"One must not confuse extremists with Muslims," Malek Merabet said, according to a translation by The Guardian. Later during Saturday's press conference, Malek went on to criticize the radicalized gunmen saying, "My brother was a Muslim, and he was killed by two terrorists, by false Muslims."

"Don't confuse extremism with Islam;" Brother of murdered policeman Ahmed Merabet speaking to press. #JeSuisAhmed pic.twitter.com/YJdtssAX33 — Darshna Soni (@darshnasoni) January 10, 2015

Malek added that his brother was proud to be Algerian and French, and cherished his role as a policeman.

"He was very proud of the name Ahmed Merabet, proud to represent the police and defend the values of the Republic, such as liberty, equality, and fraternity," he said. "His colleagues describe him as a man of action; he was passionate about his job."

"My brother was a Muslim. He was killed by people who pretend to be Muslims" http://t.co/upZoAxurNL #CharlieHebdo pic.twitter.com/lPwq3WHJLG — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 10, 2015

On Saturday, a memorial for Ahmed was growing outside of his police station in Paris.

Deuil et registre de condoléances au Commissariat central du 11ème à Paris, où servait Ahmed Merabet. #JeSuisCharlie pic.twitter.com/oKJtABrBQp — Guillaume Auda (@GuillaumeAuda) January 10, 2015

While speaking to the press on Saturday, the Merabet family also expressed anger at the viral spread of images of Ahmed's death.

The slain policeman's partner described seeing the images on television in a restaurant without realizing it was him. Video taken by an onlooker that surfaced online shows what appears to be Ahmed, wounded on the pavement, raising a hand as though appealing for mercy before he was fatally shot in the head.

Earlier in the week, tributes poured in for Ahmed when news of his death began to spread. Images of the 42-year-old policeman began circulating online with the hashtag #JeSuisAhmed, alongside messages of solidarity.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press