A European police agent will stand trial next season on suspicion of deliberate homicide in the death of a 17-year-old of North American descent, which sparked riots across the country. Nahel Merzouk was killed in 2023 at the hands of the police officer who was arrested on Tuesday in Nanterre, where the attorney’s office in the Paris neighborhood of Nanterre announced in a statement that judges on Tuesday decided to bring the case to trial following a two-year research. The officer, who was only identified in legal documents as Florian M, was immediately detained but released a few months after pending further investigation. According to the lawyer’s office, he is scheduled to go on trial in the fourth quarter of 2026. The announcement’s community and attorney did not respond to requests for comment right away. In Nanterre, the girl was shot during a traffic halt. One officer pointed his gun at Merzouk while the children was driving through the window of the other’s Mercedes, according to film. The official fired again as the vehicle advanced. Pascal Prache, the counsel for Nanterre, said his initial research led him to believe that the officer’s usage of his weapons wasn’t legally justified. Demonstrations over his murder spread throughout France, and some turned violent, with businesses looted and public properties torched. As the authorities increased its law enforcement response to halt the turmoil, tens of thousands of people were detained, and thousands of others suffered injuries. A 54-year-old died in a relevant protest in French Guiana, South America, after being struck by a errant shot. The killing served as a powerful reminder of the frequent poverty, unemployment, and other barriers to opportunity in areas of France where many people have their roots in former French colonies.
