It is considered an elite unit, but now finds itself at the heart of the controversy by its methods. In a long investigation, Release And Mediapart reveal new elements in the Mohamed Bendriss case which overwhelm the Raid police officers and their hierarchy.
What is the Mohamed Bendriss case again?
On the night of July 1 to 2, Mohamed Bendriss died in downtown Marseille, at the age of 27. The Marseille city was then plagued by degradation and looting following the death of Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed in Nanterre by a police officer during a road check on June 27. Mohamed Bendriss, married, father of a child and whose widow is expecting a second child, dies after feeling unwell while riding a scooter. It was during his autopsy that the trace of what could be the impact of a shot from an LBD (defense ball launcher) was spotted on his chest.
On July 4, a judicial investigation was opened by the Marseille prosecutor’s office for “fatal blows with a weapon”. The investigation is entrusted to the judicial police and the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN). On August 10, three police officers from the Raid, an elite unit, were indicted in this case for “violence with a weapon resulting in death without the intention of giving it”.
According to the prosecution, the exploitation of CCTV images showed that during the night, when the Raid column had been informed of a new looting of the Foot Locker store and its reserve, in the center of Marseille, Mohamed Bendriss continued on a scooter a man who fled with a bag “containing goods stolen from this business”.
The fugitive on foot, who was later arrested, indicated during his hearing that a man on a scooter “tried to take the bag from him and chased him”, forcing him to abandon the stolen goods, adds the wooden floor. Facts disputed by the lawyer of the widow of Mohamed Bendriss, Me Arié Alimi. “We are going to file a complaint against violation of the secrecy of the offense against the public prosecutor of Marseille, specifies the lawyer to 20 Minutes Marseilles. What the district attorney said is an outright lie. One wonders what Mohamed Bendriss was doing there. But to say he stole is a lie, and the district attorney lied. »
What did the police officers in question do according to the first elements of the investigation?
According to information from our colleagues at Mediapart and Release, a first police officer used a weapon twice. This weapon is a Penn Arms, and can fire six 40 millimeter cartridges. However, according to our colleagues, the internal rules indicate that this weapon also used by the CRS must be loaded only with tear gas or smoke cartridges. But it is indeed an LBD shot that would have hit Mohamed Bendriss in the chest, according to the images used by the investigators. Contacted, his lawyer, Me Dominique Mattei, did not respond to requests from 20 Minutes Marseilles at the time these lines are written.
A second shooter also admits having fired against Mohamed Bendriss. The policeman was notably equipped with a rifle loaded with “bean bag” type ammunition. always according to Release, who cites unpublished technical documents on the subject, these small bags containing lead balls used by the Raid police officers are even more dangerous than the LBDs. “Bean bags should not be used when maintaining order from a legal point of view, plague Me Alimi. If there was the instruction to use these weapons, then it falls under the criminal responsibility of the hierarchy. Contacted, the lawyer for this police officer, Me Chantal Fortuné, told 20 Minutes Marseilles not to speak on “this sensitive matter”.
The third policeman, armed with an LBD, is suspected of being the source of a mark on the victim’s thigh. Before the examining magistrate, this official indicated that he was “virtually certain that he had not opened fire”. Contacted, his lawyer, Me Nicolas Branthomme, was unreachable at the time of writing.
It was the first time that the Raid, which specializes in hostage-taking and counter-terrorism interventions, was used to fight against urban violence in France. And according to our colleagues from Release and Mediapart, these police officers had neither the equipment, nor the skills, nor the reasoning adapted to the situation. “We wondered what we were doing there,” even launched one of the police officers into custody, according to Mediapart. “Faced with the degradation of private property, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin decided to send unsuitable and disproportionate forces, accuses Me Alimi. Therefore, he broke the law. And the direct consequence is these injuries and deaths. There is a direct responsibility of Gérald Darmanin in this file. The Raid was not necessary. If he sent the Raid, it was political communication, but you don’t do political communication on a delicate situation. We respect the law. Gérald Darmanin has a political responsibility in the death of Mohamed Bendriss. »
What did their hierarchy do?
Following the publication of articles by Release and Mediapart, the lawyer for the widow of Mohamed Bendriss Arié Alimi announced to 20 Minutes Marseilles a filing of a complaint against X for non-denunciation of a crime. “There was a desire for concealment on the part of the Raid hierarchy to protect the Raid police officers and allow them to consult”, accuses Me Alimi. In front of the investigators, one of the police officers implicated indicates that he has known for about a month that he has been involved in this file.
When, from the beginning of July, the IGPN looks into the file, and asks the hierarchy of the Raid for clarification, it obtains quick but incomplete answers. Thus, on July 11, the local boss of the Raid mentions the existence of a camera which filmed the scene. The video will not be transmitted until July 28, almost a month after the events. Another video was shot by a resident of the city center. Auditioned by the IGPN, this lady declares: “in accordance with your instructions, I undertake not to distribute this film to anyone or show it, reports Mediapart. I acknowledge that in case of dissemination, I could be prosecuted. I understand what you are telling me. I promise to respect the law. However, according to Mediapart, no law imposes this. These revelations come a few days before the hearing of other police officers, heard from this Thursday in the Hedi case, named after this young man seriously injured by members of the anti-crime brigade on the sidelines of the riots in Marseille.