CFTC Police President Arrested in Paris for Refusal to Comply
Axel Ronde, a police union official, was arrested on 31 October following a chase in Paris. His lawyer denounces an ambush and has referred the matter to the IGPN for an administrative inquiry.
Administrative Inquiry Requested Following Arrest
According to leparisien.fr, the lawyer of Axel Ronde, national president of CFTC Police, presented a contrasting account on Friday of events on the night of 31 October. The brigadier-chief union official was driving alone in the Bois de Vincennes when a plainclothes driver, presenting himself only as "captain" without justifying his status or bearing insignia, allegedly cut off the road and accosted the police officer "aggressively".
Maître Gérald Pandelon asserts that his client believed he had fallen into an ambush. The union official, who claims to be "threatened with death for several weeks" on account of his union activities, left the scene with the intention of reaching a police station. The lawyer emphasises that this motorist was not on duty.
According to the defence version, the plainclothes driver pursued the union official through the wood and then onto the A4 motorway, putting other motorists in danger. Axel Ronde claims he stopped of his own accord as soon as he spotted a police vehicle. The breathalyser test carried out following his arrest proved negative.
An inquiry was opened by the Créteil public prosecutor's office on charges of fleeing, refusal to comply, unlawful use of a vehicle bearing police markings, and resisting an officer. Investigations were entrusted to the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN).
As early as 6 November, the lawyer sent a report to the IGPN director by registered letter, requesting the questioning of the officials present, the preservation of radio communications, recordings from the 17 [emergency services number] and CCTV footage. Maître Pandelon also invited examination of whether the plainclothes driver had justified his right to intervene.
"This matter is modest in its circumstances; it is not in the principles it raises," the lawyer stated. He emphasised that the code of ethics applies to the police officer both on and off duty, and that "an authority that does not show itself cannot demand obedience".
The police report cited by Le Canard enchaîné presents a substantially different version. According to this document, the union official was driving in the 12th arrondissement in his personal car, equipped with a siren, beacon and sun-shield marked "Police". He allegedly ran red lights, hit a vehicle, and claimed to need to join a law-and-order operation before driving off abruptly. The chase allegedly continued as far as the boulevard périphérique, where Axel Ronde allegedly shouted "I am armed" as he exited his car.
Axel Ronde reserves the right to refer the matter to the public prosecutor for deliberate endangerment and to request the benefit of official protection. The lawyer specifies that his client remains presumed innocent of any wrongdoing and that the facts are presented under all reservations.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)