"The Versailles appeals court ruled that it had "not been established that Florian M. had intended, at the moment of shooting, to take the driver's life". It said he should be tried on the lesser charge in a criminal court without a jury."
"Mobile phone footage of an officer shooting Nahel inside a car during a traffic stop on a busy street went viral following the incident, sparking days of protests. The police initially maintained that Nahel had driven his car at the officer. But this was contradicted by the video, which showed two officers standing by a stationary car, with one pointing a weapon at its driver."
"Few cases of alleged police brutality make it to criminal court in France, as most are dealt with internally. In 2024, a judge gave suspended jail sentences to three officers who inflicted irreversible rectal injuries on a black man, Théo Luhaka, during a stop-and-search in 2017."
A French police officer will be tried on a lesser charge of violence leading to death instead of murder for shooting 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk in June 2023. The Versailles appeals court ruled that intent to kill could not be established at the moment of shooting. The incident sparked nationwide protests after viral video footage contradicted police claims that the teenager had driven his car at the officer. The video showed two officers standing by a stationary car with one pointing a weapon at the driver. The officer was released from custody in November 2023 after five months in detention. The case reflects broader concerns about police brutality in France, where few such cases reach criminal court and most are handled internally.
Read at The Local France
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