Three police detained over death of man during France riots

MARSEILLE: Three French police officers were arrested on Tuesday over the death of a 27-year-old man in the southern city of Marseille in early July during nationwide rioting, prosecutors said.

France was convulsed in late June and early July by violent rioting over the killing outside Paris on June 27 of a teenager by a policeman during a traffic check.

The riots were met by a forceful police response. Hundreds of people were arrested and hundreds of police officers were wounded.

But there had not previously been any confirmation of a member of the security forces or a protester losing their life during the events.

In all, five police officers from the elite Raid unit were taken into custody on Tuesday morning in Marseille for questioning in the probe over the death of Mohamed Bendriss, prosecutors said.

Two of the five were released in the early evening, the public prosecutor´s office announced. “The other three police officers remain in custody,” confirmed Marseille public prosecutor Dominique Laurens.

The incident took place during the night of July 1-2 during violent protests in the centre of Marseille sparked by the death of Nahel M., 17, who was shot dead by a policeman on June 27 during a traffic check.