French police officer who killed teenager in Paris suburb apologises to victim's family

The policeman who shot dead a 17-year-old in the Paris suburb of Nanterre for fleeing a traffic check and failing to comply with an order to stop his car on Tuesday, triggering protests in the country, has apologised to the victim's family while in custody, said his lawyer.

"The first words he pronounced were to say sorry and the last words he said were to say sorry to the family," Laurent-Franck Lienard told BFMTV late Thursday.

"He is devastated, he doesn't get up in the morning to kill people," Lienard said. "He didn't want to kill him."

A video of the incident being circulated on social media showed two police officers beside the car, a Mercedes AMG, with one shooting as the driver pulled away.

Lienard said the police officer was "extremely shocked by the violence of this video".

The officer has been charged with voluntary homicide and remanded in custody.

Mother of victim says policeman saw 'an Arab face'

The mother of the teenager who was killed by the French police officer said that she thought the death of her son was racially motivated.

"I don't blame the police, I blame one person: the one who took the life of my son," Mounia told the France 5 channel in her first media interview since the shooting on Tuesday morning.

"I have friends who are officers. They are completely behind me... they don't agree with what happened," she said.

She further said that the 38-year-old policeman could have used other ways to tame his son, who was driving a Mercedes without a licence.

"He didn't need to kill my son. A bullet? So close to his chest? No, no," the single mother, described as a worker in the medical sector, told the channel in tears.

The officer "saw an Arab face, a little kid, and wanted to take his life," she said.

"How long is this going to go on for? How many other children are going to go like this? How many mothers will find themselves like me?" she added.

Violent protests continue in France

France continued to simmer for the second consecutive day as thousands of more security forces were deployed across the nation to prevent violent protests sparked by the fatal shooting of the teenager.

Videos circulating online show intense confrontations between protesters and law enforcement, with police employing tear gas and rubber bullets.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said earlier that at least 150 people have been arrested across the country, and several public buildings have been "burned or attacked".

Videos going viral on social media purportedly showed angry mobs torching cars and ransacking shops.

(With inputs from agencies)

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