A French police officer will face trial over the killing of a teen that set off nationwide riots

PARIS — A French constabulary serviceman volition look proceedings adjacent twelvemonth connected charges of voluntary homicide implicit the killing of a 17-year-old of North African descent, a decease that acceptable disconnected nationwide riots.

The prosecutor’s bureau successful the Paris suburb of Nanterre, wherever unfortunate Nahel Merzouk grew up and was killed successful 2023, said successful a connection that magistrates decided Tuesday to nonstop the constabulary serviceman to proceedings aft a two-year investigation.

The officer, identified successful ineligible documents lone arsenic Florian M., was initially detained but released a fewer months aboriginal pending further investigation. He is expected to look proceedings successful the 3rd 4th of 2026, the prosecutor’s bureau said.

Nahel Merzouk.Collective for Nahel

Merzouk’s household and lawyer did not instantly respond to requests for remark connected the announcement.

The teen was changeable during a postulation halt successful Nanterre. Video showed 2 officers astatine the model of the Mercedes the younker was driving, 1 with his weapon pointed astatine Merzouk. As the car pulled forward, the serviceman fired once.

After the killing, Nanterre authoritative Pascal Prache said his archetypal probe led him to reason that the officer’s usage of his limb was not legally justified.

Protests implicit his sidesplitting dispersed astir France and immoderate turned violent, with stores looted and nationalist buildings torched. Thousands of radical were arrested arsenic the authorities ratcheted up its instrumentality enforcement effect to quell the unrest, and hundreds of radical were injured. In related protests successful the overseas territory of French Guiana successful South America, a 54-year-old died aft being deed by a stray bullet.

The absorption to the sidesplitting was a potent reminder of the persistent poverty, discrimination, unemployment and different deficiency of accidental successful neighborhoods astir France wherever galore residents hint their roots to erstwhile French colonies.