Protests and unrest erupted in Paris after police shot dead a 17-year-old who failed to stop when ordered to by traffic police, reports the BBC.
Video circulating on social media shows a police officer pointing a gun at the driver of a car, before a gunshot is heard. The car then crashes to a stop.
The teenager, named as Naël M, died of bullet wounds in the chest despite immediate medical care.
The officer accused of shooting him has been detained on homicide charges.
The shooting triggered a series of protests on Tuesday night in Nanterre, the area just west of Paris where the teenager was killed. Some 24 people were arrested following the disorder.
Naël M is the second person this year in France to have been killed in a police shooting during a traffic stop. Last year, 13 people died in this way.
According to Le Monde, police initially suggested the teen drove his car towards them with the intention of hurting them.
But footage posted online and verified by the AFP news agency shows two officers at the vehicle, with one pointing his weapon at the driver through the window and firing at point-blank range as he tries to drive off.
The agency also reports that a person in the video can be heard saying “you’re going to be shot in the head” – though it is unclear who says it.
Two others were in the car at the time of the shooting – one fled while another, also a minor, was arrested and held by police.
The incident sparked anger and disorder overnight, with cars and rubbish bins set alight and bus shelters destroyed. Fireworks were also set off near the police station. Riot police used tear gas to break up protesters, some of whom created barricades throughout the night.
Several incidents of unrest were also recorded in the towns of Asnières, Colombes, Suresnes, Aubervilliers, Clichy-sous-Bois and Mantes-la-Jolie.
Authorities have opened two separate investigations following the teen’s death – one into a possible killing by a public official, and another into the driver’s failure to stop his vehicle and the alleged attempt to kill a police officer.
Two weeks ago, a 19-year-old driver was shot dead by police in the western France town of Angouleme, after allegedly hitting an officer in the legs during a traffic stop.
