Rebel deputy Sébastien Delogu released after custody for altercation with police officers
Marseille deputy Sébastien Delogu was held in police custody on Thursday following an altercation with three police officers who came to apprehend a suspect in his building. He was released with a summons for disrespect to a public official.
Altercation with police officers in Marseille
Sébastien Delogu, a rebel deputy for Marseille, was held in custody for more than eight hours on Thursday 27 August before being released with a summons for disrespect to a public official. According to lcp.fr, the incident occurred on Monday during an operation carried out by three police officers searching for a suspect in the parliamentary member's residential building. Having arrived at Marseille's central police station at 14:00 accompanied by his lawyer, Delogu left the premises around 23:00 through a rear exit.
Yones Taguelmint, the deputy's lawyer, confirmed that custody had been lifted and clarified that a summons for disrespect to a public official was scheduled for 13 November. The Marseille prosecutor's office had justified the custody decision within the framework of an urgent investigation for "disrespect towards a person invested with public authority".
Divergent accounts of the incident
The exact circumstances of the altercation remain contested. According to Delogu, three police officers attempted to access the building in plain clothes without identifying themselves. The deputy claims to have refused to leave the door open, then to have asked for a police badge before being physically seized. He also states that he received insults and a blow to the chest from one of the officers.
For their part, the three police officers filed a complaint for "disrespect towards persons invested with public authority". According to their written statements consulted by AFP, Delogu had physically opposed their entry into the building, calling them in particular "a bunch of tired people" and other insults. The suspect searched for the theft of a watch was apprehended without incident in an apartment opposite the deputy's and has since been released.
Reactions and follow-up
Delogu published a partial video recording of the incident and filed his own complaint against an unknown party for insults and physical violence. On social media, he thanked "the forces of order who behaved in an irreproachable manner" whilst expressing his gratitude for the messages of support received.
The police officers reportedly had telephone contact with the deputy earlier in the day via a neighbour and informed him of their search for the suspect. When questioned by message about these details, Delogu had not responded.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)