Three police officers from the Raid, an elite unit, were indicted on Thursday for ” violence with a weapon resulting in death without intention to give it after the death of a 27-year-old man on the sidelines of the riots in Marseille, the prosecution said.
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“ The investigating magistrates notified the three police officers of their placement under judicial supervision “, added the prosecution in a press release. They have the ban to get in touch with the civil parties ” And “ to participate in the context of their professional activity in interventions concerning urban violence and major events on the public highway “, he added.
Died on the night of July 1 to 2 in Marseille, Mohamed Bendriss is the only death recorded to date on the sidelines of urban violence which were triggered in several cities in France and over several days, following the death of young Nahel, killed by a police officer during a road check in Nanterre at the end of June.
According to information given by the prosecution, the facts would have occurred after the looting of a Foot Locker store in the center of Marseille. CCTV footage showed ” that a man had fled […] chased by MB (the man who later died) on a scooter who had tried to take the bag he was carrying, containing goods stolen from this business “wrote the prosecution. “ There are therefore elements showing that these two individuals participated in an action of fraudulent appropriation in a context of generalized looting of downtown stores, founding an intervention action to arrest the perpetrators. “, he adds.
According to the elements communicated by the prosecution, Mohammed Bendriss “ managed to escape on a scooter, skirting the column of the Raid “, and was “ achieved in a very short period of time by two LBD shots “, one of which at the level of the thorax will prove to be fatal, then by a firing of type ammunition ” bean bags which impacted his scooter.
No new police sling in Marseille
In another case, that of young Hedi who was shot in the temple by LBD and who was beaten up by police officers from the BAC in Marseilles, the fact that one of the police officers was in pre-trial detention triggered a rebellion in some police stations. At the announcement of the indictment of the three Raid police officers, the reactions were more measured.
The Alliance union thus estimated that the investigation would take place calmly. But he recalled that the riots had been terrible for five days. The union which specifies that two elite units had to be called in reinforcement, because it was no longer possible to stem the violence.
For a former Raid, on the contrary, this type of unit had no place in the streets of Marseille at the beginning of July. “ The police officers of a Raid intervention group have nothing to do with maintaining order. They are not trained in maintaining order, it is not their vocation. Their vocation is madness, hostage taking and anti-terrorism. An observation shared by David Dufresne, founder of the AuPoste media and specialist in police violence.
David Dufresne, creator of the AuPoste media and specialist in police violence
Other voices in the police remind us that the malaise is deep. “ Before, we risked our lives to preserve those of our fellow citizens. “, explains a trade union official, today, we are risking our freedom.
Read alsoRiots in France: four Marseille police officers indicted for violence
(And with AFP)