Two months after the death of a teenager during a police operation near Paris, followed by serious unrest, France is once again rocked by a fatal police operation. A 16-year-old boy fleeing a police patrol crashed his motocross bike into another patrol car in the Paris suburb of Elancourt on Wednesday night. As the Versailles Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday, he is brain dead. The police supervisory authority is investigating the case.
The drivers of the two vehicles involved were detained by police on Wednesday night, but were released on Thursday. The Public Prosecutor’s Office did not provide information about the exact progress of the police operation and the collision. According to media reports, the first patrol car received a radio message to stop the young motorcyclist, possibly because he was riding without a helmet. It’s unclear if the patrol tried to get the 16-year-old to stop or if he fled when he saw the police car.
A little further on, at an intersection, he collided with the second vehicle, which was returning from another mission. The teenager crashed into the side of the police car, as the photos suggest. To prevent possible riots, an elite unit of riot police (CRS 8) will be deployed in Elancourt on Thursday night, broadcaster BFMTV reported, citing police sources. The 200-man unit is made up of officers specially trained for use in urban conflicts.
After the death of a 17-year-old young man during a traffic stop at the end of June, France was rocked by serious riots and protests against police violence. There was repeated looting, arson attacks and violent clashes between police and protesters. More than 3,000 people were arrested.