Just over a year ago, France was gripped by a wave of violent riots following the death of Nahel, who was shot by a police officer as he fled after being pulled over. At the time, the young boy became a symbol of ‘police violence’ and ‘systemic racism’ on the part of the police. The in-depth investigation now proves that the police version of events was the correct one.
Let’s review the facts. On June, 27th 2023, Nahel Merzouk, a French-Algerian aged 17—i.e., under the legal driving age in France—was at the wheel of a powerful rental car registered in Poland, a Mercedes A-class, worth €50,000, with two minors as passengers. Refusing a police traffic stop, the young man ran the car at an officer, forcing the latter to shoot in self-defence. Nahel died as a result of the close-range gunfire.
