Toulouse: restaurant manager convicted of hitting police officer while fleeing
A 31-year-old man received an 18-month prison sentence, of which one year is suspended with electronic monitoring, after hitting an anti-crime unit officer during an attempted arrest.
Toulouse: restaurant manager convicted of hitting police officer while fleeing
Toulouse's lower court ruled on Monday 15 June on a matter of violence against a law enforcement officer. A 31-year-old restaurant manager was tried for hitting a member of the anti-crime brigade (BAC) five days earlier, in the old town centre of the city of Toulouse.
The incident occurred on rue de la Madeleine, in the Couteliers neighbourhood. An undercover officer who was patrolling the area observed the defendant on a Vespa scooter. According to the police account, the officer saw the man hand over an envelope containing white powder in exchange for banknotes. He then identified himself by shouting "Police, stop" and displaying his armband. The scooter driver allegedly accelerated and hit the officer, who had to be taken to the emergency department.
In court, Naïm denied any drug dealing. He claimed he was not selling drugs, but returning the goods to his dealer, who was dissatisfied with its quality. He described a scene of panic: a stranger pulls out a weapon and shouts, he fears an attack. "I had the restaurant takings on me, I was afraid," he stated. When questioned about deleting his conversations with his supplier, he attributed this to shame over his cocaine addiction, which he wanted to hide from his partner.
The lawyer for the complainant, Ms Stéphanie Pujol, denounced the complete absence of braking, which she said was a sign of contempt for law enforcement. The public prosecutor requested a three-year custodial sentence. In defence, Mr Jacques Derieux contested the visibility of the armband and the audibility of the orders to stop. He also mentioned recent threats against his client to explain his fear. He sought a non-custodial sentence in order to preserve the restaurant's business and the family's future — his wife being pregnant.
The judges ultimately found the defendant guilty of simple assault, dropping the charge of contempt towards a person in authority. The sentence is eighteen months, of which six are suspended with probation. The twelve months in custody will be served under electronic surveillance.
Source: La Dépêche du Midi
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)