Family of Killed French Teen Files Complaint Over Fundraising for Police Officer
© AP Photo / Aurelien MorissardA demonstrator runs on the third night of protests sparked by the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, France, Friday, June 30, 2023. After six years in power, French President Emmanuel Macron appears further weakened by days of rioting over the death of a teen killed by police that come on top of a series of other challenges at home, leading domestic politics to impede his influence abroad. Macron was forced to delay his state visit to Germany meant to show the strength of the friendship between both nations after recent disputes over on issues including energy, defense and the economy.
© AP Photo / Aurelien Morissard
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PARIS (Sputnik) - The family of the teenager shot dead by a police officer in the Paris suburb of Nanterre has filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office against the man behind a fundraising initiative to help the officer's family, French radio reported.
Nahel's family is accusing far-right publicist Jean Messiha, the campaign's author, of fraud, illegal use of police data and concealing a crime, the radio said. Each charge carries a sentence of five years in prison and a fine of 300,000 euros ($326,000).
The attorney for the deceased teen's family said that Messiha illegally used information about the teen's past offenses to make him look like a criminal and a repeat offender, as well as to organize a movement in support of the police officer who killed him.
"Jean Messiha claimed that the funds would go to the police officer's family, but there is no certainty that the beneficiary would actually be someone close to him," the attorney told media.
The fundraising campaign ended overnight into Wednesday. According to the Gofundme website, more than 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) was raised to help the Nanterre officer's family, with more than 80,000 people making donations. A similar initiative launched on the Leetchi fundraising portal to support Nahel's mother has raised just over 415,000 euros as of Wednesday morning, with about 21,000 contributors.
On June 27, 17-year-old Nahel M. was shot dead by a police officer in the Paris suburb of Nanterre after he allegedly refused to comply with police orders during a traffic stop. The officer who pulled the trigger on the teenager was charged with voluntary manslaughter and is in custody. The fatal police shooting sparked mass protests across the country. According to the latest figures from the French Interior Ministry, some 3,800 cars have been set on fire by youths across the country since the riots began. In addition, police and government buildings and about 100 town halls have been attacked. The country's economy ministry said more than 1,000 retail stores, some 370 bank branches and about 10 shopping malls have been looted.
Nahel's family attorney told French television show that the teenager had no criminal record. However, US news outlet reported, citing the Nanterre prosecutor, that the teenager was known to police for disobeying traffic stops and had been summoned to a juvenile court in September 2022 over such incident.