• The gendarmes were called for a vehicle fire on Saturday evening in a camp for sedentary travelers in the Médoc.

  • Shortly after their arrival, they were attacked by young individuals, members of one of the two families residing in the camp, who shot them with rifles.

  • Commander Cédric Roger, tells

    20 Minutes

     the incredible outburst of violence that lasted an hour and a quarter.

The investigation is continuing in the case of the shooting against gendarmes, which occurred on Saturday evening in Lesparre-Médoc (Gironde). Four people, including three teenagers aged 15, 16 and 17, and a 25-year-old adult, were taken into police custody on Sunday. A judicial investigation was opened "on the count of attempted assassination on a person depositary of public authority", indicates this Tuesday the parquet floor of Bordeaux to

20 Minutes

, which specifies to have taken requisitions of placement in provisional detention against suspects.

The gendarmes had been taken to task on Saturday evening, while they were intervening for an arson of a vehicle, on the place called Connau, in the town of Lesparre-Médoc.

Engaged in a dirt road which leads to makeshift dwellings made of caravans and wooden huts, they came under 150 to 200 shots for more than an hour.

The shooting did not injure anybody, but the soldiers were very shocked by the determination of the shooters.

Joined this Tuesday by

20 Minutes

, Commander Cédric Roger, squadron leader of the Lesparre-Médoc company, and who himself intervened on the spot, recounts the scene.

"Almost acts of war," he emphasizes.

"Precautions for use" before the operation

"We were alerted at 10:30 pm for this vehicle fire, at a place that we know well to have already intervened there many times", underlines the commander. On this land of about one hectare, located in the woods, live about thirty people, in two separate camps. "These are the families of two brothers, from the community of sedentary Travelers, and who hate each other" summarizes the squadron leader. "It has happened that rifle shots are fired, he continues, so that we took the usual precautions before our intervention, and mounted a small device with a surveillance and intervention squad [Psig], who stayed on the outskirts of the camp at first. "

Arrived on site, around 11 pm, the gendarmes first send two soldiers on the path that leads to the field.

“The latter proceed to the usual observations, which take place peacefully, and even discuss with the members of the first family, for about half an hour.

Suddenly, they are taken to task, by individuals who come from the other camp and who shoot in their direction.

"

Zone cordoned off to prohibit any exit or entry of vehicles

It is then around 11:30 p.m.

It is therefore dark, and the area is very wooded.

"The gendarmes receive many pellets, and their vehicle is also" sprayed ".

It is impossible for them to identify the exact number of shooters, and the pair decides to dissociate themselves, one of the two gendarmes putting the members of the first family to safety in one of the lodgings.

"

The Psig then joined the first team and took up support.

“While getting out of his vehicle, one of the gendarmes takes a volley of pellets in the thigh, without gravity, but that sets the tone… And the shots continue.

The commander then went on site with other gendarmes, who cordoned off the area to prevent any exit or entry of vehicles into the camp.

Then the Psig de Mérignac arrived as reinforcements, the device then amounting to 22 soldiers.

Boar bullet impact

The shooting will continue for an hour and a quarter.

“The gendarmes counted between 150 and 200 shots, we found cases everywhere the next day, assures Commander Cédric Roger.

It was mostly buckshot, but on one of the vehicles of Lesparre's brigade was found a Brenneke bullet, wild boar bullet, ”explains the squadron leader.

During this time, none of the gendarmes retaliated.

“From the moment you cannot determine your objective, nor the environment in which it operates, we do not shoot, assures the commander.

The gendarmes therefore made the choice to cash in, without retaliating, and to wait until we were able to get the shooters off the hook.

Despite the heavy fire, they displayed admirable discernment and coolness.

"

Anger of the mayor of Lesparre-Médoc

The arrival on the spot of the "patriarch" of the second family, made it possible to calm the situation, and to prepare the intervention which will lead to the arrests, which took place Sunday at 8 am, with the support of the specialized platoon. protection of the Blaye gendarmerie.

The device was then mounted to 40 soldiers.

The searches will make it possible, at the end of the intervention, to find two rifles and a bag of ammunition.

If the scene was ultimately no injuries, the mayor of Lesparre-Médoc does not take offense.

"There is mounting pressure on this locality, with nuisances almost every weekend," Bernard Guiraud tells

20 Minutes

.

The gendarmerie intervenes regularly, but this in no way calms the tensions.

I have already written to the Prefect and the Minister of the Interior, because I felt the tragedy coming.

And what I feared happened.

"The elected asks that this situation" end as quickly as possible ", because he fears" the worst.

"

Miscellaneous

Guadeloupe: The gendarmes targeted by live ammunition, deplores Gérald Darmanin

Miscellaneous

Gard: Suspected of having thrown shards of bottles at the gendarmes, three people arrested

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