Officer caught on camera forcefully striking and spitting on a young individual.
In a shocking turn of events, an investigation has been initiated by the Bobigny prosecutor's office following the report of an LFI deputy, Eric Coquerel, on August 28, 2025. The investigation is focused on "violence by a public authority figure," after a video surfaced showing a police officer allegedly assaulting a young man in Saint-Denis.
The forty-second video, viewed over 30,000 times in just two hours on Friday afternoon, shows the young man standing still against a grate, with two other police officers nearby, yet failing to intervene during the incident. The young man in the video is of Arab descent.
Laurent Nunez, the prefect of the Seine-Saint-Denis department, acknowledged the incident on Twitter and shared the video with the link: pic.twitter.com/t8BE8NgCJ5. He condemned the incident as "unbearable."
Eric Coquerel, the LFI deputy for Saint-Denis, found the scene "shocking" and emphasised that no matter the reason for an arrest, violence and humiliation are unacceptable. Aly Diouara, another LFI deputy, has referred the matter to the public prosecutor under Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The identification of the police patrol and the officer involved in the incident is ongoing. The investigation into the police incident in Saint-Denis is being conducted by the department of ethics, synthesis, and evaluation of the Paris metropolitan area's proximity security directorate.
Aly Diouara has also planned to visit the young man in the video in Saint-Denis to reassure him and express support. François Bayrou, a guest on "C à vous," expressed that if the facts take place, there will be an investigation and a punishment.
The prosecutor's office did not provide details on the location or date of the incident in their initial statement. The search results do not provide any information about the identity of the police officer involved in the incident at this time.
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding the principles of justice and respect for all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances. As the investigation continues, it is crucial that those responsible for any wrongdoing are held accountable for their actions.
