What does the law say?
A law from February 2017 changed the conditions under which police officers open fire. Until then they were subject to the penal code and the principles of self-protection, like any citizen.
Article 435-1 of the Internal Security Code (CSI) now states that they can fire if they refuse to comply if they cannot stop the car except with the use of weapons and if, during the flight, the driver “is susceptible to perpetrate (…) damage to one’s life or physical integrity or that of others “.
The principles of “absolute necessity” and “strict proportionality”, linked to self-defense, remain in force.
