Tension in Nanterre (France) over the shooting death of a 17-year-old boy at the hands of a police officer

At least 15 people have been arrested in the early hours of Wednesday after participating in tense protests in Nanterre (France) over the shooting death of a 17-year-old boy of Algerian origin at the hands of a policeman this Tuesday. According to Reutersthe young man refused to obey the officer’s orders during a traffic control and, when he started the car to leave, the policeman shot him at point-blank range.

As reported by the French newspaper le figaroIn the first moment The police alleged that the young man had attempted to commit a homicide. while trying to hit the officers. However, a video leaked on social networks (and later verified by media such as AFP either Reuters) showed the policeman pointing at him and shooting without the boy even getting out of the car.

It was the publication of that video that sparked outrage among some residents of the Vieux Pont neighborhood, where the victim lived.

[Al menos 37 heridos, 4 de ellos muy graves, y edificios en llamas por una explosión de gas en París]

He agent is under investigation and has been taken into custody. Furthermore, according to le figarothe victim’s family will present a complaint for intentional homicide against the police officer in the next few days, and another against the body for falsifying a public deed.

The protests over the deaths of the minor began on Tuesday afternoon and intensified as the hours passed, ending with Clashes between the Police and some protesters. In Nanterre, several buildings have been set on fire, such as Pablo Picasso’s primary school or the Gavroches leisure center, where there were dozens of animals that could be saved.

In addition, some protesters fired fireworks at officersalthough eventually the riots ended without injuries.

According to le figaro, moments of tension have also been experienced in other towns in the Nanterre district such as Île-de-France, Suresnes, Montfermeil, Colombes, Asnières-sur-Seine or Rueil-Malmaison. The protests have even reached Mantes-la-Jolie. In that municipality located to the west of Paris, the altercations have led to the burning of the Val Fourré town hall.

Deaths at traffic controls

Last year, in France, a record for police shootings during traffic stops, with 13 in totalreports Reuters. This is the second deadly shooting of 2023.

In 2020 two people were shot dead by police for refusing to comply with a traffic stop, and in 2021 the number rose to three. A count of Reuters of these shootings between 2021 and 2022 shows that most of the victims were black or of Arab origin.

“As a mother in Nanterre, I have a feeling of insecurity for our children,” she told Reuters Mornia Labssi, a local resident and anti-racism activist, who said she had spoken to the victim’s family.

The head of the Paris Police, Laurent Núñez, told bfm tv that “this act raises doubts in me” and that Justice would decide if it was appropriate or not.

For his part, the Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmannexpressed in a Twitter post that the General Inspectorate of the National Police was investigating “to clarify the circumstances of this drama.”