Suspicious death in police custody: IGPN seized in Saint-Ouen
A 44-year-old man died on Tuesday at the Saint-Ouen police station during police custody. France's national police inspectorate is investigating the circumstances of the death.
Suspicious death in police custody: IGPN seized in Saint-Ouen
According to sudouest.fr, France's national police inspectorate (IGPN) was called in following the death of a 44-year-old black man on Tuesday, 27 October, at the Saint-Ouen police station in Seine-Saint-Denis. An investigation into the causes of death has been entrusted to the IGPN.
The victim, an Angolan national residing in France since the age of 8, worked as a painter. He was found unconscious in his cell by police officers, who immediately administered first aid. The autopsy carried out suggests a death from natural causes, cardiac and respiratory arrest, according to a source close to the investigation. Firefighters were unable to revive him.
The man had been arrested on Monday by municipal police for public insult, threats and outrages against a person holding public authority. Due to his alcohol level, his placement in police custody had been deferred. After an initial hearing, he had been returned to his cell before a planned extension of his custody.
The lawyer of the victim's father, Yassine Bouzrou, filed a complaint on Wednesday for voluntary violence resulting in death without intent to kill, committed by a person holding public authority. He asserts that "acts of serious violence were committed during the arrest and potentially within the police station". The counsel adds that the victim "was not suffering from a serious illness that could explain this sudden death" and that "acts of violence could be the cause of his death".
In his complaint, M<sup>e</sup> Bouzrou requests that an investigating judge be seized of possible facts of fatal violence. This case occurs in a context of public debate on police management of public order, notably following tensions during student movements and a recent attack with controversial motives in the Paris region.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)