INTERVIEW
Gérald Darmanin is again at the heart of the controversy. The Minister of the Interior declared Tuesday, before the law committee of the Assembly, that he "chokes" on "hearing the word" police violence "", angering the family of Cédric Chouviat. The 42-year-old delivery man died last January during an arrest after having said nine times "I'm suffocating". "How can you say that when you're the first cop in France? It's scandalous. He hurt the whole family," said Christian Chouviat, Cédric's father, questioned Wednesday noon on Europe 1.
The entourage of Gerald Darmanin, interviewed by AFP, assured that "it is a French expression commonly used, understood by all. There was no ulterior motive. It is in no way a question of a parallel in a case where indictments were pronounced ".
"It's a revolt"
Three police officers were indicted for "manslaughter" in early July and placed under judicial supervision. A fourth member of the intervention team, who filmed the scene of the arrest, was placed under the status of assisted witness. "We are living a tragedy. That we can come out with words like a family in mourning, in the middle of a legal battle against four individuals ... My son said 'I am suffocating' and (Gérald Darmanin) said that ' he is fed up with attacking 'police violence' and stifling it, ”continued Christian Chouviat.
"Do you realize? Not only does he allow himself to get out of words like that, but he still has not dismissed the four individuals. Frankly, it's a revolt," he was scandalized. Cédric Chouviat's family recently wrote to Emmanuel Macron to ask him that the police officers involved in the investigation be suspended.
"We have nothing against the police"
The father of Cédric Chouviat also assured to have "nothing against the police" and to have "confidence in justice". "We haven't forgotten anything, but we've relied on justice from the start. I shout loudly that I trust justice. As I shout loudly on behalf of the whole family, that we have nothing against the police, that we have nothing against the police, "he certified.
"Until today, we have never had any angry words. But you just have to understand that you cannot hear words like that."