After changing his story, a French policeman has been charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of a 22-year-old black man in Nantes. Following days of unrest, fresh clashes have erupted between police and youth.
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French authorities have charged a policeman with manslaughter after the shooting death of a young black man in the western city of Nantes on Tuesday evening, which sparked days of rioting .
The announcement by the policeman's lawyer came after the officer altered his story of what happened prior to the incident.
In his initial description, the officer claimed he had acted in self-defense after the 22-year-old shooting victim, identified only as Aboubakar, had tried to resist arrest during questioning.
But the officer later told a police oversight body that he had fired his weapon by accident.
"He recognizes he made a statement that did not conform with the truth," his lawyer Laurent-Franck Lienard told the Agence France-Presse news agency.
Nantes: Protests erupt after police kill young man
A traffic stop went terribly wrong when a police officer opened fire on a 22-year-old driver and killed him. The fatal incident triggered violent protests in the French city, but police say "the worst" has yet to come.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/MAXPPP/F. Dubray
Nantes on fire
Dozens of protesters took to the streets of Nantes after police shot and killed a young man during a traffic stop. But police said the man injured an officer when he attempted to reverse his vehicle, prompting a fellow officer to fire on the driver. News of the young man's death spread swiftly, prompting protesters to take to the streets.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/MAXPPP/F. Dubray
Cars, buildings targeted
Groups of young protesters gathered in several neighborhoods across Nantes, including Breil, Dervallieres and Malakoff. The protesters threw Molotov cocktails at police and set fire to vehicles in the area. But residents said violent incidents had been on the rise in their neighborhoods.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Dubray
'The worst' yet to come
A Breil resident told the AFP news agency that he had "heard explosions" and went to see what was happening. "I saw everything burning. There were fires in the bins, the cars. They were breaking everything. It lasted ages." Protests largely subsided by morning, according to authorities. But police are expecting "the worst in the coming days."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/MAXPPP/F. Dubray
Reinforcements
Authorities said police in Nantes would receive reinforcements from Rennes, Saint-Nazaire and Angers to maintain order in the French city over the coming days. "I'm appealing for absolute calm, as the rule of law will be completely respected," said French Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet. Up to 200 additional riot police officers have been mobilized, reported the Ouest-France newspaper.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/MAXPPP/F. Dubray
History repeats itself?
Officials have called for a full investigation into the young man's death, hoping to stave off further unrest. In 2005, two boys were killed while fleeing police, triggering violent protests in Clichy-sous-Bois, a low-income migrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Paris. These spread swiftly and lasted for months, becoming a major issue in the next presidential election campaign.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Spingler
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Cars, buildings ablaze
Police questioned Aboubakar on Tuesday in the Breil neighborhood of Nantes after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The neighborhood is known for its history of gang violence. Young people there have previously complained about police brutality during attempts by local officers to fight violent drug gangs.
Rioters have set fire to cars and buildings throughout Nantes in the three nights since the shooting. Police have arrested four people in connection with the unrest. AFP has reported that fresh clashes erupted between youths and police early Saturday.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe visited Nantes on Thursday to try to diffuse communal tensions by vowing "full transparency" in the investigation into Aboubakar's death.