French President Emmanuel Macron described the killing of a 17-year-old Algerian boy by police while trying to stop his car at a traffic checkpoint near Paris as "inexcusable," marking a rare criticism of law enforcement hours after the incident triggered riots. A police officer is under investigation for intentional homicide for shooting the young man, who prosecutors say refused to comply with an order to stop his car early on Monday morning. This has raised questions about how willing police are to resort to violence.
Macron stated that the death of the young man is "inexcusable," emphasizing that "we have a young person killed... and it is unjustifiable and inexcusable." He added, "Nothing justifies the death of a young person," calling for the judiciary to take action.
Riots erupted in several areas of France, particularly in Paris, after footage described as "execution" circulated among activists on social media. A video showed police officers aiming their guns at the boy's head through the car window. This prompted a number of angry youths to take to the streets in Paris, set fire to garbage bins, and launch fireworks at police officers. They also set fire to several cars and buildings. The anger spread to other suburbs, despite the apprehension of the police officer who shot the young man.
On the other hand, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that "police arrested 31 people during the clashes, during which protesters burned 40 cars, mostly in the Nanterre suburb of Paris, where the victim was from." He stated, "Justice must be served and the truth revealed," noting that "the police officer will be suspended if the charges against him are proven."
The public prosecutor's office reported that the 17-year-old, who was driving a rented car, was stopped by a police checkpoint for violating traffic laws. Two police officers tried to stop the car before one of them shot the driver through the window. "The officer accused of shooting the driver has been detained on charges of homicide."
According to "The Sun," the young man is named Naël M., a French national of Algerian descent who worked as a courier. The police claimed that "Naël was driving recklessly." The family’s lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou, stated that "the video circulating on social media clearly shows a police officer coldly killing a young man." He confirmed that the family filed a complaint, accusing the police of "lying" after they initially claimed the car attempted to run over the officers.
A spokesperson for the French police indicated that the shooting that occurred yesterday was the third fatal police shooting during car stops in France so far in 2023, down from a record 13 incidents recorded the previous year. Reuters reported that three killings of this type occurred in 2021 and two in 2020, indicating that the majority of victims since 2017 have been Black or of Arab descent. The French Special Rapporteur on Human Rights has opened an investigation into the death, which is the sixth such investigation into similar incidents in 2022 and 2023.
