France police shooting unrest: Riots after teen's killing, 600 arrested
NBCJun 30, 2023
The French policeman responsible for the killing of a teenager during a traffic stop near Paris on Tuesday has been charged with homicide and is now in custody.
The 17-year-old victim, identified as Naël M., was shot at point-blank range by a police officer in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday morning after he was pulled over for traffic violations.
The young man killed by police was of Algerian descent, and his race was likely a factor in his murder. This is evidence of institutionalized discrimination by law enforcement, which regularly targets people of color. This tragedy should serve as a moment of reckoning for France to deal with its widespread issues of racism.
While any death at the hands of police is very troubling, it's also important to address all the factors, as the current investigation seeks to do. French law dictates that police officers may use their weapons in certain circumstances, and this incident may fall under that jurisdiction. Whatever the outcome of the probe, the police, as a whole, shouldn't be blamed or dismantled, and protests should remain peaceful.