French teen shooting: cop gets donations faster than the victim's family

Paris: The collection of money for a French police officer involved in the shooting that triggered nationwide riots has amassed over 986,000 euros ($1.07 million), dwarfing the donations made to the victim's family.

The 38-year-old policeman, identified as Florian M. in the French media, has been arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter.

The online fund, set up on Gofundme.com by a far-right media commentator, has garnered support from more than 40,000 individuals. The significant sum collected easily surpassed the 189,000 euros raised for the family of the deceased 17-year-old, Nahel, who hailed from a North African background and resided with his mother in a western suburb of Paris.

Expressing her dismay, Nahel's grandmother conveyed her heartbreak over the overwhelming support for the policeman, stating, "He took the life of my grandson. This man must pay, the same as everyone." She expressed her belief in the justice system and her trust that justice would prevail.

The shooting, which occurred during a traffic stop, has exposed deep-seated political divisions in France. Right-wing figures are rallying to defend the security forces, while those on the left view the incident as a manifestation of systemic racism within the police. The riots and looting since the shooting have intensified the polarisation within society. Politicians from the ruling centrist party and the left have criticised the collection for the police officer, initiated by far-right commentator Jean Messiha, who maintains close ties with anti-Islam politician Eric Zemmour. Ruling party MP Eric Bothorel took to Twitter, denouncing Messiha's actions as "indecent and scandalous," warning that he was playing with fire.

Olivier Faure, the head of the Socialist party, addressed a message to Gofundme, condemning their facilitation of the "shameful" collection. Mathilde Panot, a senior MP from the hard-left, highlighted the swift closure of a collection for a former boxer who had assaulted several police officers during the "Yellow Vest" anti-government protests in 2019, contrasting it with the substantial funds being raised in this case. She remarked, "Killing a young North African, in France in 2023, can earn you a lot of money."

Jean Messiha, a right-wing commentator on CNews and a former advisor to far-right leader Marine Le Pen, celebrated on Twitter when his fund surpassed the one for Nahel's family over the weekend. During the launch of the collection, Messiha defended the officer, asserting that he was "doing his work and is paying a heavy price."

While the controversial initiative faces backlash, Eric Ciotti, head of the right-wing Republican party, defended it, indicating that he might contribute. Ciotti cited the officer's family's financial struggles as a justification for the fund.

In a video capturing the incident, Florian and his colleague can be seen stopping a yellow Mercedes driven by Nahel, who was without a licence, in the suburb of Nanterre, western Paris, on Tuesday morning. With his weapon drawn, Florian shoots Nahel at close range as the car drives away. also faces charges of making false statements, initially claiming that he fired his weapon as Nahel drove toward him. Another teenager in the car later disclosed to the media that the officers had struck Nahel with the butts of their guns before opening fire. A voice on the video can be heard saying, "You are going to get a bullet in the head."

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne acknowledged that the operation "was obviously not in line with the rules of engagement for police."