French police officer investigated after 14-year-old injured by tear gas canister

Saint-Ouen-l’Aumone, France. A 14-year-old boy suffered a broken jaw and multiple shattered teeth after a police officer fired a tear gas canister towards him at close range during student protests last week, his parents and family lawyer said. The officer was placed under formal investigation on Tuesday, eight days after the incident, on charges of assault by a public official resulting in permanent disability or disfigurement.

Family files attempted murder complaint

The teenager, Eden, had been sitting on a wall looking at his phone a few metres from the protest, according to family lawyer Elsa Marcel. His family asked for his surname to be withheld to protect their privacy.

An officer approached Eden and struck him with a baton, prompting the teenager to respond with a kick, according to the local prosecutor. A second officer then fired a tear gas grenade from a Cougar launcher, striking him in the face.

“(The officer) shot him in the mouth and left him lying on the ground, without even calling the emergency services,” Marcel said. She said the family had filed a complaint for attempted murder.

A police spokesperson said police do not comment on ongoing investigations. The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the student had confronted police and that officers had tried to push him back.

Watchdog investigates policing of student unrest

The case is one of 24 being investigated by the IGPN internal police watchdog in connection with the policing of a wave of student unrest over school conditions that has lasted more than two weeks. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has described the demonstrations as the most violent in decades.

The police response has renewed calls to end the use of rubber bullets and grenade launchers. Police in many other European countries do not use these weapons, which rights groups, including Amnesty International, and UN human rights experts have repeatedly criticised in recent years as dangerous and disproportionate.

The response has also sparked public anger and increased support for a protest movement that represents the latest expression of deep-seated discontent with President Emmanuel Macron’s government ahead of an election in 2027.

Injuries documented across protests

Through interviews and reviews of legal documents, Reuters has documented 28 cases of injuries caused by police force, including 15 under investigation by the IGPN. The cases involve rubber bullets, stun grenades, tear gas, batons and charges on horseback.

In two cases, a person’s eye was lost or injured by rubber bullets. In another, a 15-year-old in Lens had his hand blown off, likely by a stun grenade, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez. Nunez suspended the use of stun grenades pending an investigation into that case.

In a radio interview on Wednesday, Nunez said about 200 students had been injured, but that police action was very rarely the cause.

“Our primary role is, of course, to protect high school students,” he said.