Brawl between street vendors, police shoot

While the Quatre-Chemins district, on the edge of Pantin and Aubervilliers, lives to the rhythm of daily tensions linked to illicit cigarette trafficking, a brawl between street cigarette sellers suddenly turned into tragedy.

One of the individuals stabbed the other before being neutralized by police fire.

This incident, which will probably not be the last of its kind in a city plagued by this scourge, highlights the precarious security situation in this sector and the inability of local authorities to act in the face of what is proving to be a real threat to local residents and their peace and quiet.

returning to a puppet in the evening feels like pic.twitter.com/Qj4zS8l1Wy

— lau (@illovemeatballs) November 6, 2023

Chronicle of a bloody brawl

The silence of Monday evening was broken by the din of a violent altercation between individuals from the illegal cigarette sales network.

The scene, which quickly escalated into a knife fight, forced a police officer to make a critical decision: to use his firearm to neutralize a deadly threat.

The attacker, with a bloody knife in his hand, uttered death threats in Arabic, before being shot in self-defense by the police. He suffered an injury to his right hip but survived.

Police observation and reaction

In this affair where every second counted, the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) stood aside, not having been mandated for an independent investigation.

However, their presence as observers underlines the importance of the event. Éric Mathais, the public prosecutor of Bobigny, confirmed this posture, focusing attention on the direct action of the police on the ground.

The silent witnesses: Surveillance cameras

Inanimate but unerring eyes recorded the entire incident: surveillance cameras.

These devices, often criticized for their omnipresence, this time served as crucial instruments, providing irrefutable visual evidence of the chain of events that led to the armed police intervention.

Analysis of the field: Security in question

While calm has returned to the streets of Pantin, the resonance of this incident continues to haunt people’s minds.

The implications of this clash go far beyond the injuries inflicted; they directly question the safety of a neighborhood already stigmatized by illicit activities and violence.

This episode of aggression and defense raises essential questions about security in Pantin and Aubervilliers.

It has in fact been several years now that the Mayor of the town of Pantin has been aware of this phenomenon and has allowed it to flourish, preferring to point the finger at the responsibility of the State and the impact of budget cuts.

Selling cigarettes on the street near the Quatre Chemins stations and in Hoche, we were able to interview the mayor of Pantin. Do you have a different opinion on the matter? Do not hesitate to contact us for a right of reply. Full video: pic.twitter.com/rMR3Q9fJMo

— Hello Pantin and his neighbors (@bonjour_pantin) March 17, 2023

The fact remains that residents, confronted daily with this traffic, struggle to mask their “concern and feel abandoned by municipal teams on this subject”.

The authorities remain vigilant, and the community, although shaken, shows a resilience that defies the circumstances.

While the police face criticism, they also receive support for their quick and decisive intervention. In the political and public arena, the Pantin incident will not be quickly forgotten and will continue to spark debate and reflection on the future of security in Seine-Saint-Denis.