LONDON: Six police officers in the French city of Marseille have been questioned after a man of North African origin was seriously injured in rioting earlier this month.
The 22-year-old, identified as Hedi, was found unconscious in a street having been shot with “flash ball” rubber bullets and beaten with a truncheon. He spent several days in hospital.
Clashes between police and protesters broke out across France following the fatal shooting of teenager Nahel Merzouk by police in Paris on June 27.
Hedi, who works as an assistant manager at a restaurant, told local paper La Provence that he and a friend were approached by armed men who said they were police after leaving a cafe near an area that had been the site of clashes.
“They asked us what we were doing there,” he said. “I don’t think I had time to answer. I blocked a truncheon blow with my arm and we turned and ran.”
Hedi said the police fired at the pair as they ran, and he was knocked down by the force of the shot.
“They dragged me by the clothes into a side street,” he said. “One blocked my legs and they beat me.”
The “flash ball” rubber bullets have become the subject of fierce criticism in France, with numerous cases of them causing serious injuries when deployed by authorities.
Victims have lost eyes and suffered severe brain injuries as a result of their use, and at least two people have died.
Authorities say they are an effective and important resource for use in crowd-control measures. They are not widely used in Europe outside of France.
Local police in Marseille are also under investigation after another man, identified as Mohamed B, died of a heart attack when he was shot by “flash balls” during the riots.
