A police patrol had to fire on a car Sunday evening in Paris, on the Pont-Neuf, killing two individuals and injuring another. The circumstances of the facts are still unclear and an investigation has been opened.
A vehicle in the wrong direction that rushes towards the police
According to the first elements collected, five police officers were on patrol, on foot, shortly before midnight, when they saw the vehicle. It was parked, but in the opposite direction of traffic, learned CNEWS. His hazard lights were on. As the officers approached, on suspicion of narcotics trafficking, the car started, speeding in their direction. One managed to move away to avoid being hit, points out a police report relayed by AFP.
A dozen shots
One of the officials, who was equipped with the HK G36 assault rifle (every patrol is supposed to be equipped with one of these weapons), opened fire. About ten cartridges were used, according to our information. The occupants of the vehicle were hit five or six times. Two are dead, the driver (25 years old) and his front passenger (31 years old), a third is injured in the arm (42 years old).
The two deceased individuals are known to the police for several drug-related offences, CNEWS has learned. The dead passenger was also known for theft and aggravated pimping.
In the heart of Paris
The facts took place on the Pont-Neuf, which connects the two banks of Paris via the Ile de la Cité, in the heart of the capital. The car was parked at the Quai des Orfèvres, then ended up on the bridge, after starting and being hit by the policeman’s bullets.
The IGPN seized, an open investigation
The policeman who fired the shots was heard by the IGPN, the police force. This is standard procedure when an official uses his service weapon. A witness to the scene, a taxi driver, spoke of action of self-defense on the part of the police, we learned.
At the same time, an investigation was opened for “attempted intentional homicide on persons holding public authority”. No track has yet been advanced to explain the actions of the individuals in the car. The facts took place a few hours after the result of the second round of the presidential election and shortly after the end of the rally for Emmanuel Macron, but nothing allows for the moment to make a link with that.