“Too young to die”, moved Gérald Darmanin. The Minister of the Interior went on Monday to the police station in Roubaix, in the North, to pay tribute to the three police officers who lost their lives on Sunday morning in a road accident. Since then, the national police have been in mourning. Three police officers aged 24 and 25 died in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, near Lille, hit by another car while they were on a mission. This tragedy caused a wave of emotions among the inhabitants of Roubaix.
“We think very much of the families of the victims”
Since Sunday morning, many bouquets have been placed against the wall at the entrance to the Roubaix police station. Children’s drawings and candles have also been added. This Monday morning, silent, people linger there. ” It’s incredible ! Like what accidents can happen in any situation, ”slices a resident of Roubaix.
At around 11 a.m., the Minister of the Interior arrived at the police station. While Gérald Darmanin discusses inside the police station with the police, some residents continue to pay tribute to the three missing. “We are in shock, we think a lot of the families of the victims, but what can we do apart from paying tribute to them? asks a woman. Coming alone, she placed a bouquet of red roses alongside the other flowers. An elderly couple stops in turn: “This story saddens me, these police officers were the age of my grandchildren… it’s really too young. »
“No fault committed by the police”
Questioned by the press when he left the police station, Gérald Darmanin declared that “there had been no fault committed by the police”. The Minister added that he was thinking of the three young police officers, but also of “this pregnant woman who will not be able to present her future child to her dad” or of “this child who will be one year old and who will not know his father “.
The Minister of the Interior announced that a tribute would be paid at the end of the week in all the police stations in France. Before leaving, he wanted to greet and encourage the mother of one of the three police officers who had just collapsed right in front of him.