**Tourcoing, France** – The final two suspects in the assault of a police officer last Thursday in Tourcoing have been apprehended, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to seven. The officer, from the Anti-Crime Brigade (BAC), was attacked by several individuals during an intervention in the northern French city.
Police sources confirmed the arrests to French media, following earlier reports from BFMTV. Five individuals, including three minors, had already been taken into custody in connection with the incident before these latest arrests.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that the officer was “more psychologically shocked than physically,” despite sustaining a broken nose and a deviated septum that will likely require surgery. The officer was granted a five-day temporary incapacity for work, which is subject to re-evaluation.
The assault occurred late Thursday afternoon as the officer and two colleagues were responding to a scooter theft. Minister Darmanin detailed that the incident involved “blackmail, and the harassment of a child who was being subjected to the law of a small gang.” He made these comments from outside the Tourcoing police station earlier in the day.
In the wake of the attack, the Justice Minister reiterated his call for the implementation of “minimum sentences” in law for assaults on public officials. He urged for a public debate on “the minimum penalty when one commits acts contrary to the integrity of the Republic.”
Lille Prosecutor Carole Étienne confirmed that several investigations have been launched by the Lille public prosecutor’s office. These include an inquiry into violence against a public authority figure, aggravated by group action and the theft of the officer’s telescopic baton. Separate investigations are also underway for the scooter theft with threats and intimidation, as well as for the filming and dissemination of the assault on social media.
