MASS PROTESTS

French Cop Whose Fatal Shooting Sparked Riots Is Preliminarily Charged

Investigators suspect the officer didn’t meet the requirements for legal use of their weapon in the killing of the 17-year-old.

A French police officer whose alleged shooting of a teenager sparked riots across the country has been handed a preliminary charge of voluntary homicide. The officer allegedly shot and killed the 17-year-old—known only by his first name, Nahel—during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb. A French prosecutor found that the encounter did not meet “the conditions for the legal use of the weapon,” the Associated Press reported. Nahel’s killing set off mass protests, and authorities have deployed legions of police officers in an attempt to crack down on them. A preliminary charge indicates that investigators heavily suspect a crime, but affords more time for authorities to evaluate the case before it goes to trial.