After the death of the young father – riots: five French policemen arrested

Mohamed Bendriss died in Marseille on the night of July 2. It is so far the only recorded death in the riots that broke out in several French cities at the end of June after the death of 17-year-old Nahel M. by a police shot. Bendriss, a married father of someone whose widow is expecting a second child, was reportedly hit by a rubber bullet often used by French police during the riots.

In late July, prosecutors deemed it “probable” that the man died “from a hard blow to the chest (from the rubber bullet).”

The Bendriss case is just the tip of the iceberg
The Bendriss case is not the only investigation into police officers linked to the Marseille riots. Earlier this summer, four police officers were arrested over an incident in which a 22-year-old man was allegedly beaten by a group of police officers and shot with a rubber bullet.

As a result, the man had to have part of his skull amputated. Three of the arrested police officers have been released on parole, the fourth remains in custody.

The death of a teenager sparked mass protests
Riots in France broke out after a police officer shot dead a youth in a Parisian suburb in late June who was trying to avoid being checked. Members of the security forces were attacked with fireworks and projectiles during the riots.

So far, the police oversight has dealt with 31 cases in which police officers are accused of misconduct. The judiciary intervened in several cases.