Policeman murdered on the Champs-Élysées: the trauma and guilt of Xavier Jugelé's colleagues

“

Traumatized

” and haunted by a “

feeling of guilt

”.

The colleagues of the police officer Xavier Jugelé present when he was assassinated, in April 2017 on the Champs-Élysées, told Wednesday June 9 in front of the special assize court this attack which turned their lives upside down.

“

There were six of us, five of us came back.

I will keep [this attack inside me] until the end of my life.

There is incomprehension and a feeling of injustice,

”declared Victor Queiroz at the helm.

Read also: Four years after the assassination of police officer Xavier Jugelé on the Champs-Élysées, four men tried in Paris

At the time, he was at the head of the crew of the 32nd Security and Intervention Company (CSI) stationed on April 20, 2017 at the top of the Champs-Élysées, to prevent a possible disturbance of public order, when Karim Cheurfi strafed the Kalashnikov-style police van, around 8:47 p.m.

Four men are on trial until June 18 for their role in providing the assault rifle to the assailant, who died in the attack three days before the first round of the presidential election.

As soon as the Islamic State group claimed responsibility, it hardened the end of the campaign.

"The scene will remain engraved forever"

Two of the six CSI members were inside the vehicle, including Xavier Jugelé, at the wheel.

“

He was in front of me.

The terrorist could have started with me.

The scene will remain etched forever in each of us

", remembers Cédric Lemaître with"

a big thought for Xavier

".

“

The sound of bullets in the body echoes like in a parallel world - for months they echoed in my head.

I fall to the ground

[after getting out of the vehicle, editor's note]

, I see the terrorist coming, I close my eyes.

I hear gunshots, but it's from colleagues,

”he continues.

Positioned a little further, the other police officers shoot Karim Cheurfi after exchanges of fire.

“

Victor and the others saved my life.

I will never be able to say thank you enough

”, adds Cédric Lemaître on the verge of tears, injured in the attack.

Ludovic Tevelle, who also received a bullet (like a German tourist) thanks Xavier Jugelé "

for saving our lives: there were too many people, too much noise

" on the Champs-Élysées that evening.

The sound of bullets fired at their colleague alerted the others.

"Miraculous"

More than four years later, a feeling of guilt remains.

“

I'm trying to analyze how I could have done to save the life of this young boy.

I can't find answers

”, says Victor Queiroz, animated by“

immeasurable rage, a hatred that has never left [him], an enormous sadness

”.

Nicolas Cabrera considers himself "

like a miracle

".

“

Every day I think about these facts.

No matter how much I turn them all over the place, I don't see how it could have been avoided.

»As for Nicolas Drouin, he«

regularly sees the scene in black and white and in slow motion

».

All these police officers then developed psychic sequelae, between avoidance behavior, attitude of hypervigilance and reminiscences, underlines at the bar an expert psychiatrist. “

We are not prepared to be attacked by a terrorist. The police are there to help people, not get shot. The soldiers wage war, not us

”explains Cédric Lemaître.

Since April 20, Nicolas Drouin is "

tired of being hypervigilant

". “

Earlier, someone [in the room] accidentally dropped a tablet. Unconsciously, I put my hand on the hip

[where his service weapon is usually located, Editor's note]

. At the restaurant, I look at all the doors and openings. I've always been like that but it has become exponential

”since the attack, he illustrates.

Cédric Lemaître for his part "

had anxieties at each intervention

" for a year after the facts. Like four of the five police officers, he ended up leaving the Paris region, in his case for a job "

in an office

". "

It traumatized me for life, changed my life, like those of my colleagues and Xavier's parents

," he adds.