Image of Nahel, distributed by his mother
On 27 June 2023, a 17-year-old male identified as
Nahel M. was driving a rented
[9] Mercedes AMG[10] without a valid
driver's license in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris. Nahel, who was too young to possess a full driver's license in France and was driving unlawfully,
[11][
better source needed] was employed as a delivery driver.
[2] Nahel was "known to the police, particularly for resisting arrest," and in fact had been charged with resisting the previous weekend
[12] and five times since 2021. His judicial file included 15 recorded incidents, including use of false license plates, driving without insurance, and for the sale and consumption of narcotics.
[13] Accompanying him in the car were two other passengers.
[10] Nahel, who had
Algerian heritage,
[14] was stopped by two police officers at approximately 8:30 am (
CEST)
[15] near the François Arago crossing, close to the Nelson Mandela Square, due to traffic violations.
[16][17][18]
During the encounter, one of the officers, a 38-year-old brigadier,
[19] brandished a firearm, while the other officer engaged in conversation with Nahel. It was alleged by the police that Nahel refused to comply with their instructions.
[20] In a video recording of the incident, someone can be heard warning, "you're going to get shot."
[21] When Nahel attempted to flee the scene, the brigadier fired a close-range shot into his chest.
[22][21] The police later claimed that they felt their lives were in danger, asserting that Nahel had been driving towards them.
[23][16] Nahel's car accelerated and collided with a nearby post.
[16][17]