Third difficult night for the Seine-et-Marne police forces, who faced a surge of violence this Saturday, between 3 and 4 am, near the Pontault-Combault police station. For more than an hour, the officials were the target of mortar fire, avenue de la République, between the police station and the nearby Ocil city. Luckily, no one was hurt. No degradation is to be deplored either, neither on the building, nor on service vehicles.
It was around 2:45 a.m. on Saturday that a police rescue patrol – in a car – was the target of two mortar fire, without them doing any damage. The officials then head towards the police station and see about twenty people, on foot, who want to fight it out. Reinforcements are called. At first, the anti-crime brigade joins them. Together, the police face throwing bottles and stones but above all fireworks sent in their direction.
LBD, Cougar and disencirclement grenades in response
The scene will last until at least 4 am. The first troops will soon see reinforcements arrive from Villeparisis and Melun. It is difficult to determine the exact number of participants in this violence. They would have been “between 20 and 50 young people” to send about fifty mortars towards the police, without however causing any victims.
To defend themselves, the police have made use of their defense ball launchers, their Cougar grenade launchers – which diffuse tear gas – and even disencirclement grenades, used in the event of close attackers. No one was hurt. The police were unable to make any arrests.
Saturday morning, in the neighborhood, traders had only “heard of” the events of the night. A mother confided that she was not surprised: “My daughter had heard, before the July 14 holiday, that they were going to come to the police station”. A young woman did not hide her astonishment: “It happens from time to time, that’s why the police station is fenced. But as long and as long, it’s the first time.
On the side of the National Police Alliance union, its regional secretary Christophe Gonzalez does not hide his annoyance: “As every year, on July 14, the police are attacked, and like every year, the Pontault-Combault police station is targeted. Our colleagues showed extraordinary coolness”. And the trade unionist to rail against the restructuring of the police in the department, which dates back to September 2020: “We ended up with a deficit of 220 civil servants. And even if the situation has improved, there are still 120-130 missing. At night, the numbers are reduced and the response times for reinforcements are extended”.
Already, on the night of Wednesday July 13 to Thursday July 14, the Seine-et-Marnais police officers had been targeted – especially in the north of the department – by mortar fire. One of them also seriously injured an official from the Meaux police station in the face. On the night of Thursday July 14 to Friday July 15, there was a revival, in lesser proportions however, especially in the south this time. “We were prepared and mobilized,” says a police officer. Before detailing: “The first night, we were 250 civil servants to work and the following night, we were 300, with the presence of the CRS 8, specialized in urban violence. All the commissioners, and even the departmental director, were on the ground”.
–
