“For the first time since the events, all parties will be confronted at the crime scene. It’s a highlight.”informed the Parisian Me Nabil Boudi, lawyer for Nahel’s mother, Saturday April 4, 2024. The 17-year-old was killed by a police officer on June 27, 2023 in Nanterre following a refusal to comply. Sunday May 5, 2024, 11 months after the fact, a reconstruction of the events surrounding the death of the teenager, will take place in the same place, at the corner of Passage François Arago and Boulevard de la Défense, according to our colleagues. The drama had sparked strong emotion across the country triggering riots. The main objective of this reconstruction is to disentangle the divergent versions of the facts. The key protagonists will therefore be brought together at the exact scene of the incident, as part ofan extensive security system. The police officer involved, Florian M., will be present, protected by a hood to preserve his anonymity, in front of the witnesses and the passengers of the Mercedes driven by Nahel. According to the defendant’s lawyer, interviewed by RTL, Friday May 3, 2024, the police officer would have received numerous death threats.
“Turn off the ignition or I’ll put a bullet in your head.”
The progress of this reconstruction will be crucial to determine if the police officer was really in danger at the time of the shooting. Questions remain about whether he was able to back up or whether he was actually stuck between Nahel’s car and a low wall. The statements of witnesses, in particular those reporting death threats made by the police, will be compared with the official versions. “Turn off the ignition or I’ll put a bullet in your head.”the police officer would have said according to one of the witnesses “I also heard shoot it”it would have been said, according to The Parisian. The statements of the passengers of the Mercedes, who evoke butt shots worn by police officers, will also be taken into account. Despite the different expertise, notably that a video of the facts posted on X (formerly Twitter) and testimonies, the truth still remains to be clarified. This reconstruction aims to provide answers to the many outstanding questions and to advance the investigation into this tragedy which shook the country.