Two men suspected of having dragged pedestrians several meters from their car on Saturday and Sunday evening in Noisy-le-Sec, in Seine-Saint-Denis, were still in police custody on Wednesday January 12 at midday and will be presented to an investigating judge Thursday morning.
Two people have filed a complaint in this case. The video of the facts was widely distributed on social media.
The Bobigny prosecutor’s office told franceinfo that a judicial investigation will be opened Thursday, January 13 for “Violence in meetings with weapons and with premeditation having resulted in an ITT greater than 8 days”. One of the two victims – a 67-year-old man – has an ITT of 45 days.
For the suspect who filmed the scene, this judicial information is also open for “violence in assembly with weapon and with premeditation having led to an ITT of more than 8 days, in recidivism” and for “Diffusion of images relating to the commission of an offense”. In addition, the prosecution also retained the following grounds for indictment: “Violence without ITT in a meeting” (including a recurrence for one of the two) and “Driving despite license suspension” for the driver of the vehicle.
One of these men has been in police custody since Monday afternoon. He was quickly identified on the video of the incident by the local police who arranged to meet him in a parking lot and arrested him. The second went to the Noisy-le-Sec police station on Tuesday morning at around 5.15 a.m. and said he had filmed and broadcast the video, said the prosecution on Tuesday. The two suspects are known to justice, including the second for acts of violence, according to a source close to the investigation at franceinfo.
Two complaints were lodged in this case by a woman not appearing in the incident video and by one of the two victims who appear there – the other not yet identified. This 67-year-old man explained to franceinfo that on Saturday evening, “There are four men in a car, there is one, the driver, who asked me for a cigarette. I wanted to give him, he grabbed my hand, he didn’t let go, I couldn’t loosen his grip and he said ‘you’re going to run now’. He accelerated 100 meters, I ran. After he let go of me, I fell face down on the ground. ” He said he suffered from two fractures, his foot and shoulder, and several bruises, and told franceinfo that the medical examiner gave him 45 days of ITT. He also said he was pressured to withdraw his complaint.
Investigators are still looking for other passengers in the vehicle.