the essential
Called for help for an unconscious man in the Toulouse tramway, firefighters from the center of Toulouse had to calm this drunk and furious man. Explanations in court.
“I’m going to kill you with a Kalashnikov!” » Three firefighters from the emergency center in the center of Toulouse were victims of death threats on Wednesday November 20. In the middle of the afternoon, they intervened to rescue an unconscious individual in the tram which was then on the Saint-Michel bridge in Toulouse.
After performing stimulating gestures, the heavily intoxicated individual regained consciousness. His first instinct? Making insults and threats against those who came to help him. Out of control, he even started throwing spark plugs from his pocket and anything he could grab into the emergency ambulance
“Hate in the eyes”
At the bar of the criminal court this Friday, these three professionals testify to the hostility of the scene. In the box, the 28-year-old defendant apologizes: “I drank a lot of alcohol, I wasn't in my head. I don’t recognize myself and I apologize.” He admits to having consumed two bottles of strong alcohol that day, one of rum and the other of vodka.
“It was hatred that was in his eyes,” regret the firefighters.
“These are people who devote their lives to saving or perishing,” recalls Me Laurent Boguet. The victims' lawyer evokes the heavy impact of this violence on his clients, tired of these “too frequent” incidents, deplores their counsel. For the prosecutor, the defendant adopts a posture “that we hear too often. That of alcohol as an excuse.” It requires a six-month prison sentence for an individual already convicted and known under different identities.
“In reality, his state of total unconsciousness explains his behavior,” underlines Me Clément Rouger. Ultimately the first meaningful words he said were to apologize to the firefighters once the alcohol had digested.” And the defense lawyer admits the “very unpleasant” nature of the facts alleged against his client.
The criminal court sentenced this man to an eight-month prison sentence, four of which were suspended on probation with an obligation to treat his alcohol addiction. He was placed under arrest warrant. He will have to compensate the three victim firefighters to the tune of €500 each plus a symbolic €1 for the Haute-Garonne SDIS.
