- The 33-year-old man, who was repeatedly convicted of theft and violence, died at the Béziers police station after being arrested by municipal police.
- Forensic pathologists have noted an absence of wound, an absence of internal bleeding as well as an absence of bone fracture. During his arrest, he was in possession of pouches containing white powder being analyzed.
- The public prosecutor of Béziers requested the opening of a judicial investigation against X. At this stage, "no person has been charged or placed under the status of assisted witness," said the prosecution. A sister of the deceased took legal action.
The public prosecutor of Béziers, Raphaël Balland, requested the opening of a judicial investigation against X in the context of the death of a man at the police station in Béziers. This judicial information is open to the heads of voluntary violence resulting in death without the intention of giving it by a person holding public authority in the exercise or on the occasion of the exercise of his functions or mission. And that of non-assistance to persons in danger.
On April 8, this 33-year-old man died at the Béziers national police station where he had been taken by municipal police after his arrest. He could not have been saved. He would have been checked an hour earlier to see if he could justify his presence outside his home, on a city street, due to the curfew and containment measures.
A complicated inquiry
The three municipal police officers, heard during a free hearing, had indicated that the victim would have "refused control and that he would have adopted towards them very aggressive behavior justifying according to them to proceed to his arrest", indicated the April 9 the prosecutor. “The man then strongly and long resisted the arrest. The municipal police officers found it difficult to handcuff him and then get him into the back of their vehicle while keeping him on his stomach. A municipal policeman would then have sat on the buttocks of the still very excited individual in order to keep him "until the police station, a few hundred meters away.
On April 10, an autopsy was performed. If the conclusions will not be delivered for several days, indicates Raphaël Balland, the public prosecutor of Béziers, "at this stage, it may simply be indicated that none of the findings made on the body does not explain clearly the cause (s) of death ”.
"Absence of wound and bone fracture"
Forensic pathologists have noted an absence of wound, an absence of internal bleeding as well as an absence of bone fracture. In addition, continues the magistrate, four “small pouches of a total of less than 2 g containing a white powder which will be the subject of analyzes” were found in an internal pocket of the pants of the victim.
The unemployed victim has been sentenced eight times since 2005, including for violence and theft. On April 7, he had been presented to the Béziers prosecution, suspected of having stolen money from the hands of a person at the exit of an ATM. He was then sentenced to six months in prison, but without a warrant.
A sister of the deceased filed a civil action
Investigations are now continuing under the direction of an investigating magistrate of the Béziers judicial tribunal with the aim of determining the circumstances in which this man was killed. The investigating magistrate seized the SRPJ of Montpellier to carry out these investigations.
As it stands, "no person has been charged or placed under the status of assisted witness," said the prosecution. A sister of the deceased took legal action through his lawyer.
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Béziers: 33-year-old man dies at police station after being arrested by municipal police
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Béziers: Causes of death of man arrested by municipal police still unknown
- Justice
- Police
- Languedoc-Roussillon
- Beziers
- Local police