According to a report by a French news website on Sept. 14, a short video recently went viral in France showing police in Carcassonne, southern France, using violence against a homeless man — throwing him to the ground. The victim died 13 days later. The local prosecutor's office is investigating the case.
The video was filmed on June 21 this year, when Carcassonne was hosting a music festival. Several police officers first got into an argument with a homeless man, after which one officer grabbed him by his clothing and slammed him heavily to the ground. The man appeared to have injured the back of his head, clutching it with both hands in obvious pain. Bystanders at the scene protested to the police. Thomas Portes, a lawmaker from the far-left party La France Insoumise, posted the video on social media last Saturday, and it quickly spread and sparked widespread discussion.
Thirteen days after the violent incident, the 29-year-old victim, Youssef, died. His family questioned the cause of death, believing it was the result of police brutality. The local prosecutor's office said on Sept. 14 that an autopsy had been conducted and the circumstances were under investigation. Sources said the man had been living on the streets for over a decade and had a long history of drug use and related medical conditions. When he was found on July 3, he had already suffered cardiac arrest. Early speculation suggested the cause of death was drug-related and had no direct causal link to the police violence 13 days earlier. Youssef's brother, however, does not accept this. He told BFM TV that the autopsy report listed the cause of cardiac arrest as "unknown," and that the police's account raised doubts. "For us, the question is: why did the police use violence against him?"
Carcassonne prosecutor Géraldine Labialle said that when police argued with Youssef, no questioning took place and Youssef filed no complaint. Therefore, it was necessary to establish why the police took action, and a judicial investigation has been opened into "intentional violence by a person exercising public judicial authority."
As for the officer involved, the prosecutor revealed that he belongs to the night shift team at Carcassonne police station. He will give his account within the framework of the prosecutor's investigation while awaiting a determination on whether he is guilty. An administrative investigation will also be conducted in parallel. Other officers on duty explained that they had responded to a report of someone playing loud music, drinking, and using drugs, and that they had acted only after being attacked first.
Due to suspected violent and discriminatory policing, French police have repeatedly found themselves at the centre of public controversy in recent years, damaging their public image. Just last week, also in Carcassonne, four police officers were caught on body camera making racist, sexist, conspiracy-related, and coup-related remarks during a patrol. The footage was disclosed by the media and caused an uproar. After the scandal escalated, those involved were suspended, deepening public distrust in the overall quality of the French police force.
(Source: Global Times, Video source: Internet)
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