The week of civil war-like rioting that swept France after 17-year-old Nahel was shot trying to run over a cop and flee a traffic stop caused €650 M in damages. The officer involved in the shooting is being held in solitary confinement “for his own safety” and for fear of further riots, court documents show.
According to court documents revealed by Libération on Monday, July 11, the judges fear that “any release of the shooter might contribute to reigniting“ the riots. The case had “aroused very strong feelings of animosity against public officials, especially the security forces,” the judges wrote.
Officer Florian M. is also being held in prison for his own safety after French media doxxed his full name and address, the judges wrote. If decorated combat veteran Florian M. were set free, it might “constitute a threat to his physical safety, and that of his family”, the judges wrote, saying his whereabouts might be “published on social media” if he were released. “Only detention in solitary confinement can now prevent such a risk.” It is also necessary to keep the Afghan veteran in jail because he may exchange information with his fellow officer Julien L., who helped chase down 17-year-old dangerous driver Nahel M. June 27.
The French Insurance Association estimates the week of civil war-like rioting caused €650 million in damages, 90% of which was to approx. 3900 public and commercial properties. The rest were privately-owned vehicles set on fire. At least €20 million in damage had been done to public transport in the Île-de-France region around Paris. Education Minsiter Pap Ndiayes says tens of millions of Euros in damage were done to schools.
The lawyer for Nahel’s family Yassine Bouzrou announced he would file charges against Anne-Laurence Petel, member of the right-wing Reconquête party, for calling Nahel a “delinquent”.
“A 17-year-old driving a car without a license, with Polish license plates like drug dealers do, who refuses to comply with police – not once but twice, this does not justify his death, but it explains why he found himself facing the police,” Petel said. Stopping Nahel was “not an act of racism,” Petel wrote.