Part of the town of Nanterre, northwest of Paris, will be closed off this Sunday, May 5. It is a sensitive day with the reconstruction of the circumstances of the death of young Nahel, 17, killed by a police officer during a road check. This tragedy, which occurred on June 27, 2023, was the trigger for eleven days of riots which gradually spread to other suburban neighborhoods, but also to medium-sized municipalities. Back to the facts.
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This June 27, in the morning, two police officers on motorcycles chase a sports car, which is leading to more violations. The vehicle gets stuck in traffic. While the two officers lean towards the driver for an identity check, the car tries to restart. Florian M., who had his gun pointed at Nahel, drawn. The 17-year-old died of a gunshot to the chest.
Were the two officers threatened by the vehicle? It is this question among others that the reconstruction must make it possible to answer. Initially, Florian M. and his colleague explained that the car was heading towards them. However, this is not what the video made by a passerby and posted on social networks shows.
Fear
The second version is that the officers were afraid that the driver would steer the vehicle towards them and corner them against a wall. This Sunday is the first time that the police have returned to Nanterre since the tragedy. The alleged shooter, who spent five months in pre-trial detention, was indicted for murder. With his colleague, they were prohibited from appearing in the town, always extremely bruised by this tragedy.
In Nanterre, a town west of Paris, some buildings still bear the marks nights of riots who followed the young man’s death. Schools, courts and other public buildings attacked, stores looted… The damage was estimated at one billion euros, according to a Senate report. Nahel’s death has become a symbol of the debate on police violence in France.
Read alsoRiots in France after the death of Nahel: the cost of the damage estimated at one billion euros