The video of their intervention in the Cerisaie district, in Villiers-le-Bel, had made the rounds on social networks. The two Sarcelles police officers who were filmed beating a 17-year-old boy on March 28 were sentenced this Wednesday afternoon to 5 months in prison. Violence by people holding public authority, deemed illegitimate. They would face three years of imprisonment. The sentence was approved by the criminal court as part of an appearance procedure on prior recognition of guilt (CRPC), pleading guilty in the French way. The two police officers previously accepted their sentence before the Pontoise prosecutor by admitting the facts. The latter must now appear before the disciplinary committee as part of the administrative investigation. In the meantime, they are prohibited from operating on public roads.
The facts date back to March 28. That day, a 1 minute 27 video shows them during the arrest of four young people. Three are lined up in front of a parking box. A police officer seems to have more difficulty controlling the fourth who does not appear to be struggling violently in the image. The young man takes a first punch in the face, then a second, a few meters further. He is then pressed against a garage door, receives another blow before finding himself on the ground, while the second police officer arrives in turn. After being relieved, the minor received a punch in the stomach from the second official. The young man doubles over in pain. A police officer also performed a chokehold on him. The violence ends when the four young people are reunited. The victim receives one day of ITT.
If the video sequence does not show the origin of the scene or the few minutes which preceded it, the images are unambiguous: the suspects are calm when the shots begin to rain.
As soon as the video became known to the Val-d'Oise police department, the two police officers were immediately provisionally suspended. An administrative investigation was opened as well as a criminal investigation carried out by the Pontoise public prosecutor's office and entrusted to the ethics unit of the DIPN (interdepartmental direction of the national police) of Val-d'Oise. The latter resulted in a 5-month suspended prison sentence. A suspended sentence which can be revoked in the event of new convictions over the next five years.