On the third day of the trial of Commissioner Grégoire Chassaing, Wednesday in Rennes, the Director General of the National Police (DGPN) came in person to testify in his favor. Frédéric Veaux, 67, first addressed the Maia Caniço family, saying he understood “the extent of the tragedy that affects them”. Nearly five years ago, their son or brother Steve drowned in the Loire in Nantes, during a controversial police operation.
“I consider that no fault was committed” by the commissioner with excellent service records, a “recognized professional”, he said. The DGPN recalls that no administrative sanction had been taken against Grégoire Chassaing, who recently became head of the Lyon district and who faces three years of imprisonment for “involuntary manslaughter”. The man explained that his unusual presence as a character witness was not dictated by “a corporate approach”.
Grégoire Chassaing “acted to protect himself”
On June 22, 2019 around 4 a.m., on a quay of the Loire in Nantes, police officers, including Grégoire Chassaing, asked the DJs of different sound systems installed for the Fête de la Musique to cut the sound, but one of them They had restarted the music after stopping it. Disgruntled revelers then threw various projectiles at around ten unprotected police officers. Feeling threatened and claiming to be in self-defense, the latter responded with numerous tear gas grenades. Caught in a thick cloud of smoke, disoriented, five people fell into the Loire, including Steve Maia Caniço, a 24-year-old after-school activity leader.
According to Frédéric Veaux, Commissioner Chassaing “acted to protect himself” in the face of an “outburst of violence” which had to be “put to an end”. The DGPN also criticized the choice of the location of the sound systems, saying it was “extremely surprised by the choice of the site”. The one whom the public prosecutor of Rennes described as “the first cop in France” also spoke at length about the specificity of Nantes, where “the question of public order is extremely difficult to deal with”. “We are having difficulty finding candidates for the city of Nantes”, with “demonstrations which systematically degenerate”, he noted.
“Overbriefed” testimonies
The lawyers of the civil parties had little interest in the numerous testimonies of police officers on Tuesday and Wednesday in favor of Grégoire Chassaing, denouncing “corporatism”. “We have the feeling of testimonies which have been briefed, over-briefed, and of witnesses who are essentially there, not to testify objectively about a situation, but to come in support of their colleague Grégoire Chassaing and to come especially in the defense of the institution that is the national police,” lamented Me Cécile De Oliveira.
More information on the Steve case
Wednesday morning, a rapporteur from the IGPN, the police force, returned to the “erratic management” of the police intervention during this disastrous Music Festival. Also called to the stand, Jacques Schneider, of the General Inspectorate of Administration, returned to the IGA report which concluded that there was a “lack of discernment” during the police operation. The trial, which will end on Friday, must continue with new testimonies and the hearing of the defendant, which will also take place on Thursday.