Auch: police officer's house deliberately destroyed by fire
Saturday morning, the home of an officer at Auch police station was completely ravaged by arson. Several clues suggest an act committed because of his profession.
Deliberate fire in Gers
According to Actu17, the home of a police officer at Auch police station was totally destroyed by flames on Saturday 7 November in the morning. The fire broke out at around 6 o'clock in this house located on the heights of the Gers prefecture. The owner was on duty during the fire and reportedly discovered the incident when returning home. He also reportedly noticed a suspicious car circulating around the property. No one was injured.
Nineteen firefighters were mobilised but were unable to save the building. Investigators quickly favoured the criminal angle. Multiple fire starts were identified, as well as broken windows in the basement. One window had been smashed with a concrete block found inside. A can of burning fuel was discovered on the ground floor, and two jerrycans of diesel were found near the front door. The police officer reported the presence of fuel in his garage and filed a complaint.
A history of threats reinforces suspicions. The police officer had reportedly already received threats on several occasions from people involved in local cases. Graffiti was discovered on walls in the Garros district mentioning the officer's registration number. Other inscriptions, such as "An eye for an eye, keep your head down when you pass in front of our place", were also noted around town. The union Un1té zone sud refers to "reprisals following an operation to arrest drug traffickers in Gers".
Laurent Nuñez, Minister of the Interior, responded on Saturday on social media. "Everything suggests that this intolerable criminal act was committed because of this police officer's profession," he wrote. He assured that "all means will be deployed so that those responsible are identified and brought before justice" and expressed his support for the officer.
The Un1té union denounced a criminal act committed "for one reason only: he is doing his job and fighting crime". The organisation stressed that the commitment of police officers means putting "our integrity and that of our families" at stake. The National Police Association also expressed its solidarity, stating that "attacking a police officer in his own home is to directly target his family and the values of our Republic".
The investigation has been entrusted jointly to Auch's national police district and the Haute-Garonne inter-departmental judicial police service. The gendarmerie is now monitoring the property. Investigators must establish the exact circumstances of the fire and identify the perpetrator or perpetrators.
Source: Actu17