“The insults hurt him more than the blows”: the testimony of Stomy Bugsy at the Michel Zecler trial

Since his beating by three police officers in 2020, “a light has gone out” in Michel Zecler, rapper and actor Stomy Bugsy testified Thursday before the Paris criminal court about his “very dear friend”. “I want to find my friend like before, he expects a lot from this trial,” declared, moved, the artist who insisted on the trauma and the consequences of the attack, including professional, for the black music producer.

If the aggravating circumstance of racism was not taken into account at the time of the referral for trial of Aurélien Laperson, Philippe Tondeux and Pierre Plantier, it hangs over the debates and could be studied again at the time of the verdict on November 20, almost six years to the day after the events. However, according to Stomy Bugsy, his friend told him that he had been called a "dirty nigger" by the police while they were beating him, which the officials deny: if he was "bruised in his flesh by this story", "it was the insults that hurt him even more than the blows".

Filmed without sound by surveillance cameras installed inside the premises of Mr. Zecler's music studio, the attack had relaunched the debate on the systemic nature of violence and racism within the police. After organizing the Golden Age of French Rap tour with stars from the 1990s, the producer planned to put on similar shows with rappers from the 2000s and 2010s, but “all that fell through” after the attack, says Stomy Bugsy.

“Michel, he had lots of dreams, lots of projects,” continued Stomy Bugsy, 54 years old. From now on, "when you talk about work with Michel (...), when it's been 20 minutes since he talked about this attack, it's a miracle." He hopes that this trial will allow him to find the friend from before 2020, "a little more enterprising, a little more sunny", "someone very joyful, funny", roommate, added Stomy Bugsy, who, once his testimony has been delivered, stops to kiss Michel Zecler.