Protesters burning dumpsters in Nanterre, France, on June 29, 2023. (Credit: Fiachra GIBBONS / AFP)
The course of events
Two traffic officers had just begun their shift on Tuesday when they noticed at around 7:55 am (0555 GMT) a yellow Mercedes registered in Poland driving along the road in Nanterre, prosecutor Pascal Prache said Thursday.
The vehicle's speed in a bus lane and the "apparent young age of the driver's passengers" caught the attention of the officers on motorbikes, who attempted to intervene.
The officers turned on their sirens, approached the vehicle at a red light and told the driver to pull over.
The vehicle instead hit the gas toward a train station, with police tailing, before getting stuck in traffic.
The two officers closed in on foot and "shouted at the driver to stop," positioning themselves "on the left side" of the car, "one at the driver's door," according to the prosecutor.
"They both took out their weapons and pointed them at the driver to dissuade him from restarting by telling him to cut the ignition," the prosecutor said.
When the vehicle began to drive off again, one of the officers fired at point-blank range.
The vehicle crashed a few dozen meters away at 8:19 am.
First aid provided by the officer responsible for the shooting, as well as by firefighters who arrived soon after, failed to save Nahel.
His death was recorded at 09:15 am and according to the autopsy, was the result of a bullet that went through his left arm and chest from left to right.
The people involved
The officer who admitted to the shooting is 38. Toxicology and blood alcohol tests were negative.
Nahel, 17, was raised alone by his mother.
He was a regular at a youth recreation centre in the Vieux-Pont district, according to an area resident interviewed by AFP.
This was not the first time Nahel failed to comply to police. He faced summons in September before a juvenile court.
In the Mercedes, no dangerous objects or narcotics were found.
The two passengers, one who had been sitting in the front and fled, and another in the back, have spoken to investigators and were released on Tuesday afternoon.
The investigation
Two cases were opened by Nanterre prosecutors Tuesday.
One is being carried out by regional police and the other by the national police inspectorate (IGPN).
Investigators have scoured video surveillance and user-generated content on social networks and repeatedly questioned the police.
At this point, according to the prosecutor, "videos confirm police statements about the vehicle's route and the refusal to comply."
The officer who fired the shot, detained Tuesday, was charged with homicide Thursday and is to remain in custody.
Prosecutor Prache said the use of a firearm did not meet the legal conditions under which such force can be used.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also called on the head of police for the officer's suspension.
The police's version, according to which the teenager drove toward the officer, was debunked by a video of the incident circulating on social media.
In it, someone can clearly be heard saying "you're going to get shot in the head."
Nahel's family lawyer said they would file a legal complaint against the policeman for voluntary manslaughter, including one against his colleague for complicity in the shooting.
They would also file a complaint for false testimony against the policemen for claiming that Nahel had tried to run them over.
The vehicle's speed in a bus lane and the "apparent young age of the driver's passengers" caught the...