The crime is punishable by assizes. A 48-year-old policeman was indicted for the snagging of a “yellow vest” in Paris on November 16, 2019, AFP learned on Friday from a source familiar with the matter, confirming information from The voice of the North. Fabrice T., assigned to a Republican Security Company (CRS), was indicted on March 30 for willful violence by a person holding public authority followed by mutilation or permanent disability, a crime punishable by assizes. It is not subject to judicial review.
Manuel Coisne was injured in the eye by a tear gas canister on November 16, 2019 during this authorized demonstration of “yellow vests” Place d’Italie in Paris, which had degenerated before being canceled by the police headquarters. On the extremely viral video showing the moment of his injury, the then 41-year-old man discusses the chaos with other demonstrators, near the Italy 2 shopping center. Suddenly, a projectile hits violently his left eye. Three days after the injury, a medical report had certified that the loss of the eye was total and permanent, with aesthetic and functional sequelae.
“Very hostile” context
According to elements of his interrogation of which AFP was aware, Fabrice T. claims to have intervened in a “very hostile context (…) following a request from the firefighters who wanted to put out the barricades on fire and who were attacked by the firefighters. hostile demonstrators.
When told that the investigations and ballistic expertise, based on numerous videos, concluded that it was one of his two shots that seriously injured Manuel Coisne, Fabrice T. replied “I don’t know what to say about to that” and concedes that the protester’s injury is “dramatic”. He opposes the conclusions of the expert according to which his shooting is illegal, “comparable to a tense shot”. “We will challenge this indictment before the investigating chamber for a set of reasons because nothing is justified in this decision”, reacted his lawyer, Me Laurent-Franck Liénard.
“Manuel and his wife are relieved after these three years of waiting. But confident in criminal justice. They are now awaiting the study of the criminal responsibility of the prefect Didier Lallement who gave the orders, ”reacted Me Arié Alimi, who defends Manuel Coisne. An investigating judge decided at the end of August to investigate the accusations of two figures of “yellow vests” claiming to have been endangered by a trap and prevented from demonstrating during this same demonstration on November 16, 2019.