A police officer in France has been arrested on homicide charges after shooting dead a teenage delivery driver who had attempted to drive off after being stopped by police.
The incident occurred on Tuesday in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre when the 17-year-old North African victim, named Nael M., was pulled over by police on suspicion of committing several traffic offenses.
In a video of the incident circulating on social media, two police officers with firearms can be seen engaging with the driver, before the vehicle attempts to quickly flee the scene, prompting one officer to discharge his firearm.
The car crashes a few meters further down the road. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene but were unable to save the driver who sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
The vehicle had two passengers, one of whom fled the scene and another who was arrested and taken into custody.
The police officer has been detained on homicide charges pending a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The French interior ministry confirmed the two officers involved were “experienced” and “had no issues in their file” related to any previous incidents.
The incident has made national headlines across France and sparked huge protests in Paris on Tuesday evening. Thousands took the streets torching vehicles and bus stops and launched fireworks at riot police.
France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said the footage was “extremely shocking” but has called for calm ahead of a judicial inquiry into the matter.
“I hope that our absolute demand for truth will allow appeasement to prevail over anger,” added French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.
Darmanin further confirmed that 31 arrests were made on Tuesday evening, and 24 police officers were injured in the riots. “About 40 cars burned, and an annex town hall burned down,” he added in a statement on Wednesday.
The incident has provoked a strong reaction from left-wing politicians in France including Jean-Luc Mélenchon who tweeted: “Enough ! These murders engage the authority of the State! This police must be completely refounded, its murderers punished.
“Republican police officers must no longer allow themselves to be dishonored by this type of colleague,” he added.
Marine Tondelier, the national secretary of the left-wing Europe Écologie Les Verts (EELV), claimed France was witnessing an “Americanization of the police.”
“What I see in this video is a 17-year-old kid, Nael, who is being executed,” she added.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the killing “inexcusable,” insisting “nothing justifies the death of a young person,” a comment criticized by right-wing Reconquête party leader Éric Zemmour who replied: “What is inexcusable is a president who, out of cowardice, condemns a police officer without the slightest form of judgment and agrees with the rioters.
“Emmanuel Macron chose his France,” he added.
