29-6-2023 (PARIS) France is preparing for further unrest on Wednesday evening following the death of a 17-year-old boy who was allegedly shot by police during a traffic stop. The incident triggered violent protests in several suburbs of Paris overnight on Tuesday, during which 24 police officers were injured, and 40 cars were set alight, according to French authorities.
An additional 2,000 police officers were mobilized on Wednesday afternoon in anticipation of the violence stretching into a second evening.
The officer who allegedly shot the teenager was taken into custody on Tuesday after the boy, identified as Naël, died after being pulled over for a traffic stop in the Parisian suburb town of Nanterre. The officer will remain in custody for another 24 hours to undergo questioning by prosecutors, according to the Nanterre prosecutor’s office.
???????? – Fire in Paris region pic.twitter.com/CKHOtr68xu
— Sprinter (@Sprinter99880) June 28, 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron described the fatal shooting of the youth as “unjustifiable”. Speaking to journalists in Marseille, he said: “Nothing, nothing justifies the death of a young man.”
“I would like to express the emotion of the entire nation at the death of young Naël and give his family our solidarity and the affection of the nation. We need calm for justice to carry out its work. And we need calm everywhere because we can’t allow the situation to worsen,” Macron added.
The death of the 17-year-old was pronounced at 9:15 a.m. local time “following at least one gunshot wound” and despite the intervention of emergency medics, the Nanterre prosecutor’s office said.
“I’m going to put a bullet in your head,” the French officer exclaims.
As Naëm drives away, a shot was heard. The car crashes into a pole moments later. He died on the spot. The officer has been arrested on suspicion of murder. pic.twitter.com/GaDSUk3bkT
— Arya ???????? (@AryJeay) June 28, 2023
A passenger in the vehicle was taken into custody and later released, while another passenger, who is believed to have fled the scene, is missing, the statement said.
