The Nice prosecutor’s office announced on Friday the opening of a judicial investigation by the head of “voluntary homicide” targeting the police officer who fired a fatal shot against the driver of a stolen car who had refused to comply, Wednesday. It will serve to “determine, in a contradictory manner and under the authority of an investigating judge, the exact circumstances [de ce] shooting, “says the public prosecutor.
Xavier Bonhomme recalls in a press release that the 23-year-old Road Safety Brigade agent “explained, during his police custody, having fired because of the immediate risk of harm to his physical integrity and that of his colleague” when the driver had just collided head-on with the police vehicle. A thesis rejected by the lawyer for the relatives of the victim, aged 24. For Me Sefen Guez Guez, “it is obvious that we have [affaire] to a homicide, there is no discussion about that”.
“There is no danger that justifies shooting this man”
According to videos posted on social networks, when the policeman intervenes, “there is no danger of death that justifies shooting this man,” said the lawyer. In his press release, the prosecutor recalls the version of the facts corroborated by witnesses. The officer thus fired “once at the driver” after “several warnings to get out of the vehicle”. This had just “collided frontally” with that of the police after a chase during which the victim had refused to comply.
Xavier Bonhomme specifies this Friday that the investigations have established that the latter “had already been convicted, in particular for acts of driving without a license, violation of the legislation on narcotics and theft and concealment of theft”.
His passenger, arrested and placed in police custody must be presented this Friday to the investigating magistrate with a view to his indictment for “concealment of aggravated theft”, also indicates the prosecutor, who should request his placement in pre-trial detention. The police officer should be placed under judicial supervision.