Global Courant
PARIS
Tensions erupted in Paris on Tuesday after a police officer shot dead a 17-year-old delivery driver in a suburb of the capital, residents erected barricades and police responded with tear gas.
The young boy was shot and killed by police earlier in the day for failing to comply with traffic control in the suburb of Nanterre.
The incident caused shock waves and raised concerns about the use of deadly force by security forces.
A video reportedly belonging to the incident and circulating the Internet shows two police officers leaning against the driver’s side window before a car moves. One of the officers shoots at the driver. The car is then shown crashing into a nearby pole.
During the parliamentary session, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed that the two police officers involved were being questioned.
He acknowledged the existence of extremely disturbing images circulating on social media and urged the public to respect both the bereaved family and the presumption of innocence associated with the police officers.
Sabrina Sebaihi, a member of the Greens (EELV) party, offered her condolences to the family of the 17-year-old delivery driver.
Noting that the footage of the incident in Nanterre was “horrifying”, the official stressed that the police should only use guns when their lives are in danger.
Manon Aubry, the French MP of the European Parliament, shared on Twitter the footage of the moment the police officer opened fire on the young driver.
Aubry described the footage as “horrible”, saying that failure to obey the “stop” command should not be punishable by death.
Former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon tweeted that there is no death penalty in France and that no police officer has the right to kill except in self-defense situations.
On Tuesday evening, there were occasional clashes between the youth and the police, as local people’s anger over his death intensified.
Numerous groups set fire to barricades and trash cans, destroyed a bus stop, and launched fireworks at police.
In response, law enforcement used tear gas and dispersal grenades.
According to French media, nine people were subsequently arrested in connection with the clashes.
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