Colleagues and childhood friends of the municipal agent killed in Grenoble on Sunday September 8 describe a friendly and unifying man, “appreciated as much at work as in the neighborhood.”
A city and loved ones still in shock. The day after the death in Grenoble of a 49-year-old municipal agent, a cleaning employee who was shot dead on Sunday, September 8 while trying to stop the perpetrator of a traffic accident who was fleeing, many voices are being raised.
This Monday, several dozen municipal employees, who exercised their right to withdraw, gathered in the morning in the lobby of the City Hall, where they posted photos and messages intended for Lilian Dejean.
“We are all in shock”
On BFMTV, Abou, a childhood friend of the victim, paid him a vibrant tribute while a more official gathering is to be held from 2 p.m. in a park near the Hôtel de Ville. “Lilian was kindness itself, a golden person. He was always there to help,” he begins.
“Lilian was a man of value, an excellent family man, a person who was appreciated as much at work as in the neighborhood, and even in the city because he knew everyone. He was someone who brought people together and brought people together, and today we are all in shock, we are very sad and angry,” he insists.
For his part, still speaking to BFMTV, Virgile Comella, municipal agent in Grenoble and friend of the victim, said he was not surprised by Lilian’s attempt to stop the driver who caused the traffic accident.
“Lilian was always there to help others. I’m not shocked that he intervened in this accident, but he doesn’t deserve to die,” he said.
Speaking to RMC, Michel Vanotti, his former colleague, paid tribute to him and also described “a man who didn’t know how to say no”. “He was someone who was very diligent and endearing, and always had a smile on his face. Everyone loved him”, laments this retired town hall employee.
“We’re fed up”
During his speech, Abou wanted to send a strong message about the situation in the city of Grenoble, and in French society in general. “The shooter is not at fault, we are the first to blame,” he said.
“We no longer go to meet all these young people, the municipality has abandoned the city, I am not ashamed to say it. There is nothing left, no more associations, no more local businesses. Young people are as they are, but they need to be supported, to be passed on to them,” he denounces.
Furthermore, Abou, who refuses that Lilian’s death “is in vain”, was keen to debunk the rumours that the city of Grenoble is becoming increasingly dangerous.
“We’re fed up, there are no gangs in Grenoble, we’re not in the United States. All this was set up, people were pitted against each other, we were divided instead of coming together.”
For his part, Virgile Comella assures us that anger is also very present among municipal staff. “He gets killed like a dog on the side of the road, we leave in the morning to work, not to get killed,”
“Until now, we weren’t afraid, we went to work calmly. We saw what happened, now we’ll have a bit of butterflies in our stomachs. I hope there will be a before and an after, yes,” he concludes.
Shooter still wanted
On Sunday around 7:30 am, an Audi RS3, a powerful model with a Polish license plate, hit a car stopped at a red light near the town hall. When its driver tried to flee, a passerby and Lilian Dejean tried to stop him.
The driver then pulled out a weapon and fired twice, wounding the municipal officer in the chest, who died shortly afterwards.
The driver of the vehicle that was hit, an elderly woman, who was slightly injured, received six days of temporary work interruption (ITT).
Police officers from the Grenoble Local Judicial Police Service (SLPJ) are “actively searching for the shooter”, whose identity remained unknown on Sunday evening, according to prosecutor Éric Vaillant.
