France’s president has called Tuesday’s fatal shooting of a teen by police “unforgivable”, saying “nothing justifies” a young person’s death.
Emmanuel Macron’s comments come after protests over the killing gripped the Paris region overnight.
Nahel, aged 17, was shot in his car after failing to stop when ordered to.
But the president’s comments prompted an angry reaction from police unions, who accused him of rushing to judge the officers involved.
The Alliance Police union called for them to be presumed innocent until found guilty, while the rival Unité SGP Police also spoke of political interventions that encouraged “anti-cop hatred”.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said he would be taking legal action against another group, France Police, after it published what he called an “unacceptable and abject” tweet seeking to justify the teenager’s killing.
Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne also weighed in, saying the police intervention “manifestly did not conform to the rules”.
Video of the incident on social media shows an officer pointing a gun at the driver of a car, before a gunshot is heard and the car then crashes to a stop.
The teenager died of bullet wounds in the chest, despite help from emergency services.
The officer accused of shooting him, who said he had fired because he felt his life was in danger, is in custody on charges of voluntary manslaughter.
A series of protests followed the shooting on Tuesday night in Nanterre, the area just west of Paris where the teenager was killed. Some 31 people were arrested following the disorder.
Cars and rubbish bins were set alight and bus shelters destroyed. Fireworks were also set off near the police station. Riot police used tear gas to break up protesters, some of whom had set up barricades.
Nahel is the second person this year in France to have been killed in a police shooting during a traffic stop. Last year, a record 13 people died in this way.
According to French media, police initially suggested the teen drove his car towards them with the intention of hurting them.
But footage posted online and verified by the AFP news agency shows an officer pointing his weapon at the driver through his window and appearing to fire at point-blank range as he tries to drive off.
The agency also reports that a person in the video can be heard saying: “You’re going to be shot in the head” – but it is unclear who says it.
Two others were in the car at the time of the shooting. One fled while another, also a minor, was arrested and held by police.
“Nothing justifies the death of a young person,” President Macron told reporters in Marseille, calling for “calm for justice to be done”.
“I would like to express the feelings of the entire nation at what has happened and the death of young Nahel, and to tell his family of our solidarity and the nation’s affection.”
“We have a teenager who has been killed. It’s inexplicable, unforgivable,” he said, adding that the the case was immediately referred to the courts where he hoped justice would “do its job quickly”.
The president’s remarks are meant to calm a potentially inflammable atmosphere in Nanterre, near the La Défense business district, and other Paris suburbs, where the killing of Nahel has triggered strong emotions.
In response to fears that Tuesday night’s riots could be repeated this evening, the government has announced there will be strong police reinforcements on the streets.
Additional Reports.BBC
