A French policeman has been charged with murder after shoot the teenager in one traffic stop in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris. The shooting occurred at a police checkpoint on Tuesday, June 27, after 17-year-old Nahel M. was stopped by two officers, one of whom drew his weapon. During the ensuing exchange, youth started driving away when the officer opened fire at open range, seriously injuring Nahel, according to BBC And Related press.
The yellow car the teenager was driving stopped after the shooting. And despite the efforts of first responders, Nahel died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. There were two other passengers in the teen’s car at the time: one of them was detained by police but later released, while the other fled the scene on foot.
Police initially claimed the teen drove his car towards them with the intent of harming officers, but the video was posted online and later verified by police. Agence France-Presse refute the officers’ account. Like BBC reported, the French news agency also added that someone in the video could be overheard saying, “you’ll be shot in the head,” although it’s unclear who made that comment.
The policeman who shot Nahel was take was detained soon after because of his voluntariness manslaughter, but has now been charged with murder. However, the shooting sparked mass protests across France and led to the deployment of 40,000 police, leading to violent clashes between protesters and police. The unrest has continued since the shooting, as protests turned from peaceful gatherings – including a vigil for the murdered teenager – to riots that left 2,000 cars Cars were burned and 500 buildings were damaged. New York Times.
By the third night of protests, 667 people had been arrested and 249 policemen were injured. Protesters in France are said to have set off fireworks and hurled rocks at police stations and police officers across major cities – including Paris. The French citizen has long earned a reputation as one of the fiercest. Protesters around the world, and the French people have made it clear that police violence will not stand still.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the killing “unforgivable” but demanded “calm justice be done,” in response to the teen’s death. It is the second homicide at the hands of police this year at a regular traffic stop in France, although last year there was a “record 13 people died this way,” as BBC report. The arrest of the policeman who shot 17-year-old Nahel M. may not be enough for the people of France, but it is a start.
