French Officer Charged Over Tear Gas Injury to 14-Year-Old as 6,600 Arrests Deepen Outcry
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Oct 8
French Officer Charged Over Tear Gas Injury to 14-Year-Old as 6,600 Arrests Deepen Outcry
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Oct 8
Summary
A French officer was charged with violent mutilation after firing a tear gas grenade that shattered a 14-year-old boy’s jaw and teeth at a school protest near Paris.
Prosecutors said the shot was disproportionate, though the officer told investigators he acted in a split second to protect a female colleague during clashes with the boy.
The case is the first potential prosecution among 18 misconduct investigations tied to the student protests, where police have made more than 6,600 arrests, mostly of minors.
Other teenagers have suffered severe injuries, including a 15-year-old who lost a hand in Lens and a 16-year-old partially blinded in Tours, intensifying criticism of police tactics.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez suspended the stun-grenade model suspected in the Lens injury for use against high schoolers, while still defending police actions as proportionate in almost all cases.