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00:00 So we're going to go live to Pascal Praste, Paris Public Prosecutor.
00:04 Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?
00:06 Yes?
00:07 Okay, so good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
00:12 This morning, we are organizing a press point on the consequences to the death of a youth
00:25 and the legal processes underway.
00:28 I will talk to you about this.
00:30 This press point will enable you to be informed of a certain number of things to confirm them.
00:38 There will not be an exchange because the legal process has just begun.
00:43 So following the death of the youth, Nael, on the 27th of June, 2023, the Nanterre prosecution
00:54 has opened two cases.
00:56 One is the refusal to cooperate and the other is the attempt at homicide.
01:04 And this is going to be entrusted to the Nanterre jurisdiction.
01:11 And another investigation has been opened on attempted homicide.
01:18 And this investigation has been entrusted to the IJPN.
01:26 And the whole purpose of these two investigations is to look at all the circumstances objectively
01:33 that led to the death of this young driver.
01:36 The qualifications have initially been retained by the prosecution as the first information
01:44 that had been gathered on site.
01:47 The elements that were gathered within the framework of these two proceedings consist
01:52 of the two witnesses, including the passenger, the use of video surveillance footage and
02:02 amateur videos that were circulated on social networks.
02:08 And we are still verifying them, as well as statements of the police officers involved.
02:14 They have been heard several times, including in an adversarial process.
02:20 So for now, given the elements we have to date, we can see what happened early morning
02:29 on that day.
02:30 So after taking service, two motorcycle drivers from the police forces for the Eau de Seine
02:40 department, which is for public order in the prefecture of Paris, noticed at 7.55 on a
02:50 boulevard in Nanterre a Class A Mercedes that had a Polish license plate and that was in
02:59 a bus lane very quickly heading toward the train station neighborhood by the Nanterre
03:09 University.
03:10 And given what was happening and the young age of the people in the car, there were two
03:17 attempts made by the police officers by turning on their indication lights, and they indicated
03:26 to the car to park and pull over at the red light.
03:31 That car, in fact, went through the red light and continued.
03:37 There were passengers, one in the front and one in the back.
03:41 The two police officers followed the vehicle on several cars, and they, in fact, did six
03:49 loops at the Droit de L'Homme roundabout.
03:52 The vehicle continued on its way, where there's the road Pable-Neruda, and on Boulevard Pessarodo,
04:01 the car was still followed by the two police motorcycles that was continuing to follow
04:10 them at 8.16.
04:13 And during this, there are several elements from the police and video surveillance enable
04:20 us to see several violations of traffic regulations, such as imperiling a pedestrian and someone
04:32 on a bicycle.
04:34 And at La Défense, the car had to stop because there was a stoplight.
04:43 And so, put behind this Mercedes vehicle, the police officers assert that they said,
04:51 "Pull over and get out on the left side, on the driver's side car and the other one on
05:00 the left side."
05:02 And the police officers said that they did draw their weapons and they aimed them at
05:08 the driver to dissuade him from taking off again in the car and tell him to turn off
05:15 the engine.
05:16 The vehicle took off again, and once again, so the police officer decided to shoot.
05:26 And then at the Arago Passage, and where there is the Nelson Mandela Place, at 8.19, one
05:42 of the passengers left, and then there was first aid provided to the driver and firefighters
05:51 who had been contacted at 8.21, and they attempted to bring him back to life.
05:59 But unfortunately, despite these efforts, the person was not brought back to life.
06:06 So the Nanterre prosecution asked the police officer who shot to surrender his weapon and
06:17 was brought to the hospital, and then to make a statement.
06:22 After a first statement, this police officer was taken into custody on account of involuntary
06:31 manslaughter, and the youth was known for refusal to cooperate with the police.
06:38 The last time he did this, it was before the Nanterre prosecution on the 25th of June,
06:45 before the child's court.
06:49 The custody of the second passenger was lifted at the beginning of the afternoon on the 27th
06:58 of June.
06:59 He said that one half hour before the incident, he had gotten into the car, and the other
07:07 person who had been present in the car is still sought after.
07:11 By the emergency services to accompany people has been requested by the prosecution to accompany
07:20 the loved ones of the deceased, because they are going through very dramatic times.
07:26 And on 28th June, there was only one shot that was fired through the arm and the chest,
07:37 and there have been toxicology studies mandated.
07:44 And a search of the vehicle did not lead to the finding of any narcotic drugs or dangerous
07:52 products.
07:53 The scene has been videoed, and this has confirmed the route of the police officers during this
08:03 refusal to cooperate, as well as the second passenger.
08:07 And as I indicated, the police officer who recognized having been shot has been taken
08:14 into custody for involuntary manslaughter, and there has been no confirmation of any
08:22 use of narcotic substances.
08:25 The police officer explained his actions by saying he wanted to avoid a new escape of
08:30 this car, the dangerous behaviour of the driver, leading in the mind of this police officer
08:38 that there would be a fear that someone would be run over when the car would take off.
08:46 And there was also the other person who had been harmed who was in the car, and of course
08:56 the other police officer was hurt, and both of them said that they felt threatened when
09:04 they saw the driver take off again when they were getting close to a wall.
09:11 A confrontation was ordered on the words used during the traffic control, and after having
09:19 seen the video that was put on social networks, only one of them recognized this, and the
09:28 IRCJN has been called upon to investigate this.
09:34 And in terms of the investigations that have been done and the elements that the prosecution
09:40 has, it considered that the legal use of a firearm was not justified.
09:49 So the police officer who has been taken into custody for use of his weapon has been made
09:59 the object of a new investigation for voluntary manslaughter.
10:08 And as we have to protect these investigations, the prosecutor has put the other police officer
10:19 on a suspended leave, and the investigation will make it possible to see what will be
10:29 determined from the elements we have, and that information will be communicated to you.
10:33 Now in terms of urban violence that this department has been experiencing, the assessment is the
10:41 following.
10:42 Twenty-seven people taken into custody for the 27th, and over 20 for last night for deterioration
10:57 and violence, deterioration of property and violence.
11:00 So only for today, up to now, there have been 11 deferrals, and these are people who have
11:10 circulated police videos online, in social networks, and given the contact information
11:19 of police officers.
11:22 For example, cases of vandalism of utilities.
11:29 For example, in Angers, there has been an area not far, an area that is supposed to
11:40 help people who are in greatest difficulty, and this is what was attacked.
11:45 The prosecution is totally mobilized on this case and has been from the outset, and will
11:53 be following very closely, of course, the cases that are being investigated that could
11:59 go up to a sentencing of up to 10 years in prison.
12:04 We will communicate the elements to you.
12:06 Thank you.
12:08 I had just indicated that I would not answer questions because we have just begun the judicial
12:14 proceeding that is still underway I thank you