What we know about the attack on a police station in La Courneuve, four days after the death of Wanys in a collision with a police car

Tense situation in La Courneuve. This town bordering Paris and Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis) experienced clashes on the evening of Sunday March 17, during which a police station was targeted by around fifty individuals who fired mortars. fireworks and projectiles.

These incidents come four days after the death of an 18-year-old young man, hit on a scooter by a police vehicle after refusing to comply. Nine people were arrested, police chief Laurent Nuñez announced on Monday. Here’s what we know about it.

A police station targeted by projectiles

The situation deteriorated on Sunday evening “a little before 11 p.m.”, When “around fifty individuals attacked the La Courneuve police station with mainly mortar fire”, described Laurent Nuñez, the police prefect, on Monday. On videos posted on social networks by residents near the police station, we see several dozen people wearing hoods and dressed in black targeting the building and firing fireworks for several minutes.

“From 11:30 p.m., calm returned” thanks to the arrival of “local reinforcements” and “BAC [brigades anti-criminalité] night of Seine-Saint-Denis and Paris”, continued the police chief. Several “security operations” were carried out, in particular to put out trash fires and “disperse the small groups of young people” scattered around the building. The police used six de-encirclement grenades, 17 tear gas grenades and fired around a hundred defensive bullets, announced the police headquarters.

Furthermore, for security reasons, traffic on line T1 of the tramway was interrupted between the stations La Courneuve – 8 Mai 1945 and Hôpital Delafontaine, announced the RATP around 11 p.m. Sunday on the social network was able to resume shortly before 2 a.m.

Nine people arrested

The police chief went to the site late Monday morning to “greet” And “show support for the workforce” deployed the day before. Laurent Nuñez announced that nine people suspected of having participated in this attack had been arrested. Seven adults aged 18 to 21 and two minors are among those arrested. Two police officers were “slightly injured” during these incidents, said the police chief.

A reaction to the death of Wanys in Aubervilliers

This attack occurred four days after the death in Aubervilliers of a young man from La Courneuve, Wanys R., during a chase with the police. “We can make a link between this attack on the police station and the death” because “obviously the young people came from the neighborhood where he came from”estimated Laurent Nuñez on BFMTV.

On Wednesday evening, Wanys R., 18, was chased by the police after refusing a check while he was on a scooter. In an avenue in Aubervilliers, his two-wheeler was hit by a vehicle from an anti-crime brigade called for reinforcements, which was coming in the opposite direction. In the collision, Wanys R. was killed and his passenger injured.

The family’s lawyer accused the police on Friday of “voluntarily” hit, the police lawyer castigating a “untruth” and defending the accident theory. Two investigations were opened: uno investigation for “aggravated refusal to comply”, entrusted to the judicial accident processing service; another for “involuntary manslaughter and involuntary injuries”, targeting the police, entrusted to the IGPN.

A reinforced police force

During his visit to the police station, Laurent Nuñez ensured the deployment of“a very big device” For “secure the police station [et] the town of La Courneuve in the hours and days to come“.”Already a squadron of the gendarmerie is present” on site, andit will be relieved by two mobile units of the Republican security companies“specified the police prefect, who affirmed not to fear “new attacks”. “These acts are unspeakable and nothing can excuse this criminal behavior”reacted the Alliance union in a press release.

Many political reactions

“The incidents that occurred are not acceptable”denounced Monday Stéphane Troussel, the PS president of the departmental council of Seine-Saint-Denis, on franceinfo, before calling for “calm and justice”. “Even if there is emotion – and it is obviously completely legitimate – it must not lead to violence”insisted the manager, who, on the social network“bring answers to Wanys’ family”.

“Violence doesn’t do justice.”

Stéphane Troussel, PS president of the Seine-Saint-Denis departmental council

at franceinfo

The elected official welcomed the arrival of police reinforcements in his city “to secure, protect and ensure that calm returns more quickly”. He also recalled that “La Courneuve is a town which has a very important social network, prevention and mediation systems and which I know can be activated as quickly as possible”.

“Although I share the emotion aroused by the death [de Wanys] within our city, I firmly condemn all acts of violence in response to this tragic event. Anger cannot justify these incidents.” reacted in a press release the communist deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis Soumya Bourouaha.

These incidents sparked strong reactions on the right and the far right. “Emmanuel Macron will have continued to weaken the authority of the State, plunging France into permanent chaos”wrote Marine Le Pen, the boss of the deputies of the National Rally, on X. Like her, the president of the RN, Jordan Bardella, expressed his “support for the police officers of La Courneuve”. “For us, there will never be an excuse or extenuating circumstance for attacking our law enforcement. The only answer: total firmness”he wrote on the social network “nothing [pouvait] justify attacking police officers”. “The Republic can no longer retreat, the sanction must be implacable”he insisted.

On the far left, the former candidate for the presidential election of the New Anticapitalist Party, Philippe Poutou, said he supported “legitimate anger”. “Everything is getting worse, racism, discrimination, poverty, poor housing, repressive violence”he lamented on X.