This policeman, who still carries out within the CRS 07, is also implicated for injuries on other protesters caused by the same grenade.
Le Monde with AFP
suspected of being responsible for a pomegranate shot that mutilated a protester at act II of “Yellow Vests” on 24 November 2018, in Paris, a major of a CRS company was put in Review for “Involuntary Injuries”, reports the France-Press agency (AFP), citing a source close to the file, Friday, March 11th. According to this source, confirming Information from Mediapart, Jackie D., 50, was indicted in February to have” by clumsiness, imprudence, inattention, negligence or failure to an obligation of security or prudence (…) involuntarily “mutilated Gabriel Pontonnier, a” yellow vest “which lost his right hand,” launching a GLI-F4 grenade without respecting the legal recommendations and regulations imposed during the use of this weapon “.
This policeman, who still exerts within the CRS 07, is also implicated for injuries on other protesters caused by the same grenade. “This indication is a decisive step, in files where, too often, the institution relates to question police officers, even when the mistakes are the most serious,” reacted the lawyers of Gabriel Pontonnier, Vincent Brengarth and William Bourdon.
Lack of visibility
Act II of the movement of “yellow vests”, which protested against the rise in fuel prices, and more broadly against taxes and the decline in purchasing power, had brought together 8,000 protesters in Paris.
In his examination, Jackie D. says he commanded a section of CRS, in a manifestation that became “insurrectional” in the afternoon. Around 6 pm, on a roundabout at the bottom of the Champs-Elysées, the police officer launched, in front of him, a GLI-F4 grenade, despite, he recognized, “conditions of visibility [which ] were not sufficient “, because of the tear gas. But, according to him, this shot was “absolutely necessary”, in “reaction” to the protesters, “to bring back all the individuals who saw with their projectiles”.
At this stage, justice considers that it did not comply with the procedure for several reasons. In particular because he should have received the express order of a supervisor, what we never told him during his training, even the most recent, he assured before the judge. He also not warned the radio he was going to shoot and made him without prerequisites. Solicited by AFP, his lawyer did not wish to comment. GLI-F4 grenade, an intermediate weapon, which was regularly accused of causing mutilation, is prohibited since 2020.