A police officer suspected of violently throwing a homeless man to the ground during an intervention in Carcassonne has been placed under judicial supervision and will face trial on November 6, 2026, the local prosecutor’s office announced on Saturday, September 26.
Restrictions Imposed Pending Trial
Under the terms of the judicial supervision order, the officer is prohibited from carrying out any police activity or any work related to security, and is barred from possessing a weapon until the hearing date.
The officer was taken into custody on Friday and subsequently brought before the Carcassonne prosecutor’s office the same day, where he was formally notified of his court appearance date before the city’s criminal court.
What Happened on the Night of June 21
The incident occurred on June 21, the evening of France’s annual Fête de la Musique, when officers intervened in response to what the prosecutor’s office described as “repeated noise disturbances.”
Video footage of the intervention shows one of the officers throwing a young man to the ground. According to the prosecutor’s office, the man was homeless, a characterization his family disputes.
The 29-year-old died 13 days later, on July 3.
Investigation and Causality Question
The prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into “voluntary violence” on September 14. In a statement, the prosecutor said that “based on the current state of the investigation, there is no causal link between the filmed events and the death that occurred 13 days later.”
The case has drawn public attention in France, where police conduct during interventions has become an increasingly scrutinized issue. The upcoming trial is expected to examine the circumstances of the arrest and the proportionality of the force used.
