An intervention by the Territorial Contact Brigade (BTC) of La Courneuve turned violent on Tuesday evening in the sensitive district of Cité des 4000 (Seine-Saint-Denis).
While they were arresting an individual, the police officers were attacked by about twenty people. Three officers were injured, one seriously.
An arrest that degenerates
The incident took place around 10:30 p.m., when BTC police officers checked a suspicious vehicle on Rue Paul-Langevin. There were four people on board. During the checks, the officers found that one of the occupants was subject to a judicial review with a ban on staying in the Seine-Saint-Denis department. Deciding to arrest this man, the police officers were then violently attacked.
Violence and mortar fire
The situation quickly deteriorated when the three other occupants of the vehicle attacked the police officers. At the same time, about twenty individuals present nearby joined the attack, targeting the officers with fireworks mortars from very close range, endangering their physical integrity as reported by Actu17.
“The police officers were violently beaten, and mortar fire was fired at them, with the clear aim of causing serious injuries,” a police source said. Faced with the violence of the attack, the police had to use a tear gas grenade to free themselves, before reinforcements were dispatched to the scene, finally dispersing the attackers.
Assessment and investigation in progress
The three injured police officers were quickly evacuated to the Avicenne hospital in Bobigny. One of them, suffering from a broken hand, must undergo surgery. The other two officers have multiple bruises and hematomas, and must still undergo medical examinations to determine the duration of their total incapacity for work (ITT).
No suspects have yet been arrested following this attack, and an investigation has been opened, entrusted to the La Courneuve police station.
Union reactions
The attack sparked outrage from the Alliance Police Nationale union. Éric Henry, the union’s national delegate, denounced “a new demonstration of the impunity of these individuals who flout the authority of the State.” He reiterated his union’s call for the introduction of minimum sentences for attackers of law enforcement officers: “The shock of authority is long overdue. If nothing changes, we will witness an acceleration of the decline of our country. Security is the first of freedoms.”
A speedy recovery is wished to the injured officers, as the investigation continues to identify the attackers involved in this violent attack.
