French Officer Accused of Murder After Shooting Man
The incident unfolded Wednesday evening in Valenciennes, when officers responded to a neighbor's report of a man heard shouting "Call the police." Upon arrival, they found the victim inside his apartment crying "Help" amid what authorities described as a chaotic scene.
According to a prosecutor's statement sent to Le Parisien newspaper, officers moved to restrain the man on the ground when he slashed one officer's hand with a knife. A second officer responded by firing multiple rounds, inflicting wounds that proved fatal.
An autopsy determined the victim died from internal thoracic bleeding, having sustained three gunshot wounds to the left shoulder blade and a fourth to the right biceps.
Prosecutors acknowledged the shooting officer believed "the municipal police force was in danger due to the presence of the knife," but investigators have nonetheless ruled out a self-defense justification at this stage of proceedings, resulting in the formal charge.
The officer has been placed under judicial supervision — a lighter measure than what prosecutors requested — and could face up to 30 years in prison if ultimately convicted. Authorities indicated they are weighing an appeal of the supervision ruling.
The victim, who lived alone, had no prior police record. A broader judicial investigation now underway will seek to reconstruct the precise sequence of events and examine the man's mental health history, prosecutors said.
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