Paris policeman charged

Press, 9 July 1986, Page 10

Paris policeman charged

NZPA-AFP Paris A Paris riot policeman alleged to have shot a suspect dead with explosive bullets in the Paris Opera district while the man was lying helpless on the ground has been charged with manslaughter. Gilles Burgos, aged 29, a member of the Compagnies Republicaines de Securite of the Marseilles region, risks a sentence of five to 15 years’ imprisonment.

A police official quoted Burgos as saying he had

acted in self-defence when the suspect, Loic Lefevre, aged 28, pulled what Burgos topk for a weapon from his jacket. The object turned out to be a can of tear-gas spray. A civilian witness alleges that Burgos killed Mr Lefevre when the latter fell during a chase. “He was completely at the mercy pf the policeman, who could have arrested him without any problem,” said an insurance worker, Max Dantes. "But I saw the C.R.S. stop in front of the young man,

point his rifle at him, and | there were two shots, j / “The policeman did noteven bend over his victim; to see where he had hit him. He turned calmly oq his heel, without showing any emotion, and called his colleagues.” ■! Mr Dantes’ allegations were confirmed by a prostitute, who refused to be named. The incident was the most serious concerning police responsibility since France’s Right-wing Government, which has adopted a stiff law-apd-

order policy, was elected in March. The shooting happened after Mr Lefevre, accompanied by his male flatmate, drove his car the wrong way up a one-way street. The car hit a barrier and Mr Lefevre, who had been drinking, got out and started to run. But “a C.R.S." with his rifle at the ready was chasing close behind him, two more witnesses said. The fugitive and his pursuer vanished round a comer and two shots were heard.