Gunman's father to file suit
- 12 years ago
Toulouse gunman Mohamed Merah was shot dead by French police on March 22nd during a siege at this apartment.
Merah was tracked down after a killing spree that claimed seven lives, three of them young children.
But Merah's father insists officers should have done more to capture him alive and is planning legal action.
SOUNDBITE: MOHAMMED BIN ALLAAL MERAH, FATHER OF TOULOUSE GUNMAN, SAYING (Arabic):
"France had the capability as a major country to take him alive, with gas or something, so they could take him alive. We don't understand why they rushed matters and killed him. They could have taken him alive and sentenced him in a court, then France could have imprisoned him for a number of years, or for life."
Algerian lawyer Zahia Mokhtari is acting for Merah:
SOUNDBITE: ZAHIA MOKHTARI, LAWYER FOR MOHAMED MERAH'S FATHER, SAYING (Arabic):
"It would have been better to treat him in a better manner. He should have been arrested alive. It's not logical because a youth of his age, no matter how many weapons he has, he would not have more than the security forces during the siege."
The gunman, a French citizen of Algerian origin, was buried on the outskirts of Toulouse on Thursday.
Algeria refused a request to allow his burial in a family grave there.
Paul Chapman, Reuters
Merah was tracked down after a killing spree that claimed seven lives, three of them young children.
But Merah's father insists officers should have done more to capture him alive and is planning legal action.
SOUNDBITE: MOHAMMED BIN ALLAAL MERAH, FATHER OF TOULOUSE GUNMAN, SAYING (Arabic):
"France had the capability as a major country to take him alive, with gas or something, so they could take him alive. We don't understand why they rushed matters and killed him. They could have taken him alive and sentenced him in a court, then France could have imprisoned him for a number of years, or for life."
Algerian lawyer Zahia Mokhtari is acting for Merah:
SOUNDBITE: ZAHIA MOKHTARI, LAWYER FOR MOHAMED MERAH'S FATHER, SAYING (Arabic):
"It would have been better to treat him in a better manner. He should have been arrested alive. It's not logical because a youth of his age, no matter how many weapons he has, he would not have more than the security forces during the siege."
The gunman, a French citizen of Algerian origin, was buried on the outskirts of Toulouse on Thursday.
Algeria refused a request to allow his burial in a family grave there.
Paul Chapman, Reuters