Five years after the death of deliveryman Cédric Chouviat during an arrest, three police officers will be tried in Paris for manslaughter. In the referral order, the investigating magistrates concluded that the police had engaged in “inappropriate, negligent and reckless behavior” leading to the asphyxiation of this father, who died at the age of 42. .
News that Doria Chouviat, widow of the deceased delivery man, welcomes “both” with satisfaction and disappointment. “Justice has done its job in the sense that an investigation was carried out, with irrefutable evidence. It reassures us to know the truth,” she immediately mentioned, this Saturday, at the microphone of Franceinfo. The fact remains that a fourth policewoman, who had been placed during the investigation under the status of assisted witness, escaped the trial, she regrets.
Above all, Doria Chouviat deplores the classification of “manslaughter” used against the police officers, which, according to her, “does not correspond to the reality of the facts”. “Cédric died following intentional, disproportionate and simply illegitimate violence. Between the videos, the testimonies, and especially the medical expertise, it’s something that we cannot refute,” she assures.
Before continuing: “this trial will give us the opportunity to denounce what needs to be denounced and to hold some of the accused accountable.” Because the “most serious”, according to her, is that the police officers targeted “can continue to exercise their function”. “My husband’s murderer is the station chief, that’s what’s scary. This man has done the irreparable, he should no longer be part of the police.”
The drama at the origin of the trial dates back to January 3, 2020. Scooter deliveryman, Cédric Chouviat was pinned to the ground in Paris, with his motorcycle helmet on his head during a police check, causing discomfort. Hospitalized in critical condition, he was pronounced dead on January 5.
VideoDeath of Cédric Chouviat: the family disappointed that the police officers were not suspended
Six months after his death, the case had become emblematic of police violence after revelations from the judicial expertise: when he was put on the ground and handcuffed by the police, Cédric Chouviat said “I’m suffocating” nine times. in thirteen seconds, before feeling unwell. His pleas recalled the death of George Floyd, an African-American man suffocated in May 2020 by a white police officer in Minneapolis, a tragedy which triggered an immense wave of demonstrations in the United States.
