Hand of a high school student torn off in Lens: The grenade shot was “compliant”, says the prosecution

The investigation into the circumstances in which a 15-year-old high school student lost his left hand in Lens (Pas-de-Calais) continues. Friday, the Béthune prosecutor, Etienne Thieffry, indicated that the CRS behind the firing of the stun grenade had respected regulatory procedures. The teenager was seriously injured on Monday during a police intervention in front of the Auguste-Béhal high school.

According to the first elements collected by the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN), the official, authorized to use this weapon, “acted on the orders of the command authority and carried out this shooting in accordance with the operating procedure recommended by the training documentation”. The CRS intervened after being targeted by mortar fire and stone throwing.

No video is available

The exact circumstances of the explosion, however, remain to be determined. “There is no video available to investigators allowing them to view the explosion of the grenade,” said the prosecutor. The investigations must in particular establish whether the teenager picked up the device or whether it fell directly on him.

According to Etienne Thieffry, the testimonies collected, with the exception of one, agree on the unfolding of the facts. The grenade was reportedly thrown approximately 80 meters before falling to the ground. Several demonstrators then approached it and one of them grabbed it before it exploded. The high school student, still hospitalized, will be heard as soon as his health permits.

Filing of complaint from the high school student’s family

The teenager's mother, interviewed on Thursday, "filed a complaint for the injuries suffered by her son", confirmed the prosecution. His lawyer, contacted by AFP on Friday, did not wish to speak. Investigators are continuing their search for videos and testimonies, as well as their technical investigations, in order to clarify the circumstances of the accident.

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