The third occupant of the car young Nahel was driving when he was shot dead by police on June 27 in the French city of Nanterre, and who was missing, has turned himself in to police, official sources said Monday.
Police and public prosecutor sources in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris, confirm that the 17-year-old, who has made statements to various media in recent days about what he saw and heard, will have to make a statement to the inspectors of the Inspectorate . General of the National Police (IGPN) to give his version of events.
Justice has opened an investigation into voluntary manslaughter, the charge for which the police officer who fired the shot that killed Nahel as he attempted to flee a police checkpoint was charged and sent to protective custody on the 29th.
The testimony of this third resident, like that of the second, who was arrested immediately afterwards, will be confronted with that of the two police officers.
Before presenting himself, the young man, who was revealed to have a history of escaping a “stopping operation” by French police such as Nahel, told the press that they were driving around in a rented car when the two police officers, on motorcycles, began to chase them.
When the car had to stop in a traffic jam, one of the officers demanded that the driver – who did not have a driver’s license – lower the window and switch off the engine.
According to the third occupant of the car, the police officer threatened to shoot if the driver did not and hit him with the gun, after which Nahel involuntarily released his foot from the brake, causing the (automatic) car to move. get started.
According to the testimony, it was then that the policeman fired.
The Prefect of Police Laurent Nunez denied this testimony, stating that Nahel first stopped the engine, but then restarted it to try to escape, and under these circumstances the fatal shot was fired.
The officer who had now been arrested had initially claimed that he had fired because the getaway car endangered his safety and that of his colleague.
However, the images made by a witness cast doubt on this version.
Over the past six nights, the disturbances caused by the Nanterre incident have led to the arrest of more than 3,200 people across France, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said today during a visit to the city of Reims.
Speaking to the media, Darmanin stressed the “determination” with which measures are being taken to deal with the riots, stressing that they are “unprecedented” and that the response of the French security forces is “a demonstration of republican strength”.
Source: DN
