- Police Officers Arrested in Connection with Man’s Death Amidst Summer Unrest
- Autopsy Suggests Death Linked to Police Weapon
- Controversy Surrounds Use of Flash-Ball Weapons and Police Conduct
Five police officers have been arrested in connection with the death of a man during the summer unrest that shook France.
Mohamed Bendriss, a 27-year-old delivery driver, suffered a cardiac arrest amidst unrest in Marseille on 1 July night.
The elite riot control unit officers were placed under investigation after an autopsy revealed that Mr. Bendriss may have perished after being struck by a police weapon.
His family stated that he was an innocent bystander, according to the AFP news agency.
After 17-year-old Nahel M was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on June 27, violence erupted throughout France.
In Marseille and other cities, police clashed with protestors, injuring and arresting hundreds.
AFP reports that a post-mortem examination revealed marks on Mr. Bendriss’ thorax that indicated he had been struck by a so-called flash-ball, or LBD, according to French prosecutors.
The controversial weapons, which discharge an exploding rubber or foam pellet, are deemed “less than lethal.” But activists have long advocated for their prohibition and linked them to severe injuries.
After being hit by a flashball, the married father of one may have had a heart attack on his scooter.
In a statement to French media, a counsel representing his pregnant wife denied any involvement in violence.
The death of Mr. Bendriss would be the first verified fatality on the French mainland attributable to this summer’s disorder.
Nahel M protests in French Guiana, on South America’s northeast coast, murdered a 54-year-old man on June 29. Le Monde reported that authorities said they were slain by a stray bullet fired by rioters.
After a second man purportedly sustained life-altering injuries from a flash-ball during the national unrest, the Marseille police force has already been scrutinized for its conduct during the unrest.
North African immigrant Hedi, 22, lost an eye and had part of his cranium removed.
On July 21, according to the prosecution, he was shot in the cranium with a flashball by police.
Four officers are under investigation for the incident, including Christophe, a 35-year-old who denies intentionally injuring the victim.
He was unusually detained in detention until trial, sparking French police discussion.
