PARIS — French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin called Wednesday “for calm and for the truth of the judicial investigation” after protests erupted in the Paris suburb over the fatal police shooting of a local teenager.
The death of the 17 year old, named as Naël M., has triggered outrage in France and reignited questions over the appropriate use of force by police officers.
In video footage that emerged on social media, a police officer is seen pointing a gun at the driver of a car during a traffic stop before a gunshot is heard and the car crashes shortly after. The teen died of gunshot wounds to the chest, despite efforts from the rescue services to resuscitate him.
The incident took place Tuesday in Nanterre, in the western Paris suburbs, not far from La Défense business district. The officer who is accused of shooting Naël M. has been detained on voluntary homicide charges.
The incident sparked unrest and protests in Nanterre and the surrounding suburbs Tuesday night. Thirty-one people were arrested and 24 police officers were wounded in Nanterre where cars were burned, and several public buildings were damaged overnight.
Darmanin, who has stood firmly by the country’s police in the past, said Wednesday that the footage of the incident was “extremely shocking.” He also announced that 2,000 officers would be deployed Wednesday night to contain any further unrest.
Mbappé weighs in
There was an outpouring Wednesday morning of grief and sympathy for the victim, who reportedly worked as a pizza delivery boy. French football star Kylian Mbappé tweeted, “My France hurts. [It’s] an unacceptable situation.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family and the relatives of Naël, dead at 17 years old this morning, killed by a police officer in Nanterre. Justice … [must] honor the memory of this child,” wrote French actor Omar Sy on Twitter.
The incident has reignited a recurring debate in France about alleged police brutality, whether it’s containing protest movements or maintaining law and order in the impoverished French suburbs.
Left-wing parties have reacted angrily to the shooting.
“Yes, a refusal to stop is against the law. But death is not one of the sanctions imposed by the penal code,” wrote Manuel Bompard, a MP for the hard-left France Unbowed party.
Meanwhile, Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez said the actions of the police officer “raises questions,” adding however that it was possible the cop felt threatened.