Overnight, protests and unrest broke out in the Paris region after police fired and killed a 17-year-old who refused to stop when instructed by traffic police.
A video circulating on social media depicts a police officer pointing a gun at the driver of a vehicle, followed by the sound of a gunshot. The automobile then abruptly stops.
Nahel, an adolescent, succumbed to chest wounds despite the efforts of emergency services.
The officer suspected of shooting him has been arrested and charged with murder.
The killing of the teenager in Nanterre, a suburb west of Paris, sparked a succession of demonstrations on Tuesday evening. Approximately 31 individuals were arrested following the disturbance.
Nahel is the second individual in France to be shot and killed by police during a traffic stop this year. In 2012, a record 13 individuals perished in this manner.
Initially, French media reported that police believed the adolescent drove his car towards them with the intent to harm them.
However, online footage verified by the AFP news agency recounts a different tale.
It depicts two officers standing by a vehicle. As the driver attempts to flee, one appears to discharge his weapon at point-blank range through the window.
The agency also reports that a voice in the video can be heard saying “you’re going to get shot in the head”; however, it is unclear who says this.
Two others were in the vehicle at the time of the shooting; one fled, while the other, also a juvenile, was detained by police.
Overnight, the incident prompted anger and disorder, with cars and trash cans being set on fire and bus shelters being destroyed. Additionally, fireworks were set off near the police station. Throughout the night, riot police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators, some of whom constructed barricades.
Asnières, Colombes, Suresnes, Aubervilliers, Clichy-sous-Bois, and Mantes-la-Joie also reported multiple incidents of civil unrest.