The French police officer who shot and killed a 17-year-old during a traffic stop remains in custody. Even after the logs have been released, questions and discrepancies surrounding the fatal shot remain unanswered.
After the fatal shot at a youth during a traffic stop near Paris, the police officer responsible remains in custody. An application for the 38-year-old’s release had been rejected, said the competent court in Versailles. Florian M. is being investigated on suspicion of manslaughter.
In the meantime, the protocol of the operation and excerpts from the police officer’s interrogation have become known. Accordingly, there are still open questions about the course of events.
Controversial statements
It is also unclear why it was initially said that the car “ran towards the police officer”. This emerges from the first protocol, which is based on the radio messages or on a conversation.
In addition, some statements that can be heard in a video have not yet been finally evaluated. Referring to internal investigation documents, from which the newspapers “Le Parisien” and “Le Monde” quoted, the colleague of the later shooter threatened the 17-year-old at the wheel: “You will get a bullet in the head.”
The now detained officer shouted “turn off, turn off” and hit the windshield to get the youth to turn off the car. The exclamation “shoot him” is also further disputed.
Shot out of fear?
The excerpts from the interrogation published by “Le Parisien” also show that Florian M. said he was on duty for the ninth day in a row at the time of the crime. He initially tried in vain to stop the Mercedes, which was driving at high speed in a bus lane.
The car eventually got stuck in a traffic jam, where the fatal shot took place. Florian M. was afraid that his colleague could be dragged by the car because he leaned into the open window, he said.
However, according to the investigation documents, the second officer stated that he only put one arm in the driver’s window.
No criminal record
Nahel’s lawyer has now filed a lawsuit for forgery. Lawyer Yassine Bouzrou said the forged protocol served to exonerate the police officer.
Neither the police officer nor the 17-year-old Nahel had a criminal record. The youth was known to the police because he had previously evaded a police check.
Death sparked riots
What is certain, however, is that the discrepancy between the first reports based on the police report and the video that was then published further incited the anger of many young people.
France has been shaken by serious riots and protests against police violence since Nahel’s death during a check last week. There were repeated looting, arson attacks and violent confrontations between police officers and rioters.
The unrest has since abated. But the concern is that it could flare up again on July 14, the National Day.
