By Timothée L’Angevin
Published on 15 Feb 21 at 7:54 am
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“He acted in self-defense. “For the public prosecutor of Rennes, Philippe Astruc, the policeman who shot Babacar Gueye, 27, in 2015 “must be declared criminally irresponsible on the count of murder. He responded concomitantly, necessary and proportionately. “
The magistrate therefore asks a dismissal against him, on February 12, 2021, following a judicial investigation opened in early 2017 on the count of intentional homicide. This had led to the police being placed under the status of assisted witness.
A “very agitated” man
On December 3, 2015, the police had to intervene in a building, rue Guy Ropartz, near the Parc des Gayeulles, for a man “very agitated”, armed with a knife, having just injured the person who hosted him, according to the prosecutor.
The eight police officers present, as well as the occupants of the accommodation, evoke “the apparent state of trance, dementia or hyperexcitement of Babacar Gueye”. A state which would be linked to the evocation of a sexual assault of which he had been the victim several years before.
Summons
Police officials have repeatedly issued summons, according to Philippe Astruc, before using a taser, which did not work, and telescopic batons. An officer ended up shooting Babacar Gueye several times as he walked two floors (7th to 9th) towards the police, his knife in his hand.
Five bullets hit him, killing him a few tens of minutes later.
The use of the weapon by the police officer, taking into account all these circumstances, is declared in conformity with the doctrine in the matter.
A version denied by the family
This version has been repeatedly denied by the collective “Justice and Truth for Babacar Gueye”, chaired by the latter’s sister, Awa Gueye. She lodged a complaint with the constitution of civil party against the shooter for intentional homicide.
According to the collective, the victim was not shot in the face : “Four came from the side, and from top to bottom, another entered through the left buttock from top to bottom. Babacar would not therefore have faced the police when he was shot. “The thesis of self-defense does not hold water”, insists the association.
The case is now in the hands of the investigating judge.
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