Lille Police Under Investigation for Racial Slur and Excessive Force During Traffic Stop
A video sequence of police exactions, during a routine check in Lille, was widely shared on social networks. Following a complaint from one of the victims, the IGPN has been seized to know the circumstances of this check.
The images, denouncing these heavy-handed interventions, were filmed from a building on the Boulevard d’Alsace and viewed nearly 500,000 times on Twitter, reports the AFP.
In the video, we can see police officers hitting two individuals with batons. According to the same source, the group of police officers also attacked a driver whose window was broken. During this altercation, she was held at gunpoint and insulted as a "bougnoule".
In a letter addressed on Wednesday to the prefect of the North, an LFI deputy, Adrien Quatennens, denounced the behavior of the police, who are supposed to ensure the safety of citizens. "It is unacceptable in the French Republic that some indulge in such violence or racism, which dishonors their perpetrators, the uniform and the entire body," he hammered. According to him, this violence is increasing the population’s distrust of the national police.
Continuing his denunciation, the parliamentarian was moved by "an increasingly unhealthy climate in Lille", urging the prefect to "take his responsibilities through the necessary measures". Contacted, the Departmental Directorate of Public Security (DDSP) of the North refrained from any comment, arguing that "administrative and judicial investigations are underway".