Brigadier William, a 54-year-old municipal police officer, was honored for his act of courage and dedication during the commemorative ceremony on November 11 in Yvelines. It was from the hands of Frédéric Rose, prefect of Yvelines, that this father, who has 32 years of service, received the vermeil level medal. The emotion was palpable for the chief sergeant, who came close to death two months earlier in the Glatigny district of Chesnay-Rocquencourt.
On September 18, while carrying out a routine road check with his colleagues, he was hit by a driver. As reported by Le Parisien, the driver of a Peugeot 208 with faulty lighting abruptly refused to submit to checks, triggering a chase through the streets of the city.
The rental car, reported stolen, drove into a dead end. While Brigadier William tried to intercept the fugitive, he accelerated and violently hit the police officer, throwing him into the air before causing him to fall heavily to the ground. In shock, his colleagues rushed to help him.
The chief brigadier, victim of a pneumothorax, two broken ribs, a head injury, as well as psychological trauma, was hospitalized. He then received a 21-day work stoppage for his physical injuries and eight days for the psychological after-effects.
The fleeing driver, aged 23, was apprehended almost an hour later and taken into custody. He will face numerous charges, including attempted homicide of a person holding public authority, refusal to comply, driving without a license, and drug trafficking. During a search of his vehicle, officers discovered 1.3 kilograms of cannabis.
Back at work, Brigadier William continues to slowly recover from this traumatic attack. His act of bravery, praised by his superiors and the prefecture, is a testimony to the dedication of these agents confronted daily with the dangers of their mission to protect the population.
