Violent protests have erupted across France after the police shooting of a 17-year-old.
The boy, identified only as Nahel, was fatally shot during a traffic stop Tuesday, June 27, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
Footage of the incident filmed by a bystander showed two officers standing on the driver’s side of the car, one of whom fired his gun at the driver despite not appearing to be in any immediate danger.
The officer said he fired his gun out of fear that the boy would run someone over with the car, according to Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache.
Despite calls from top officials for patience to allow time for the justice system to run its course, a sizable number of people across France remain shocked and angry, especially young men and women of colour who have been victims of discrimination by police.
French riot police officers walk next to an upside down car during the fifth day of protests, in Paris on Sunday, July 2. Juan Medina/Reuters Police stop a group of young people in the Champs-Élysées area in Paris on July 2. Juan Medina/Reuters Demonstrators run as French police officers shoot tear gas in Paris on July 2. Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images A French firefighter works to extinguish a burning car in Tourcoing, France, on July 2. Pascal Rossignol/Reuters Police officers patrol a demonstration in Marseille, France, on Saturday, July 1. Clement Mahoudeau/AFP/Getty Images A passerby looks at the scorched remains of a car set on fire during protests on July 1, in Colombes, France. Sam Tarling/Getty Images An employee boards up shop windows on July 1, following a night of protests in Strasbourg, France. Patrick Hertzog/AFP/Getty Images Firefighters use a water hose on a burnt bus in Nanterre, France, on July 1. Lewis Joly/AP Protesters clash with police in Nanterre, France, on Friday, June 30. Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters Officers stand guard during riots in Lille, France, on June 30. Nacho Doce/Reuters People walk past a vandalized shop in Lille, France, on June 30. Pascal Rossignol/Reuters Burnt buses can be seen through the gates at the Fort d’Aubervilliers bus terminal in Aubervilliers, France, on June 30. Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images Protesters clash with police in Nanterre on June 30. Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters Fireworks explode as policemen stand by during protests in Roubaix on June 30. Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images People look at burning tires blocking a street in Bordeaux, France, on Thursday, June 29. Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images Demonstrators clash with police in Paris on June 29. Firas Abdullah/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Cars burn in Nanterre on June 29. Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images Police face protesters at the end of a march in Paris on June 29. Zakaria Abdelkafi/AFP/Getty Images People demonstrate in Nanterre on June 29. Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg/Getty Images Firefighters try to extinguish burning cars in Paris on June 29. Firas Abdullah/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Mounia, Nahel’s mother, gestures as she stands on a truck during a march in Nanterre on June 29. Antoine Gyori/Corbis/Getty Images Firefighters extinguish burning vehicles during clashes in Nanterre on Wednesday, June 28. Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters MORE:
rioters rammed a vehicle into the building overnight Sunday. Jeanbrun said his wife and one of his children were injured. Nassim Gomri/AFP/Getty Images
