Paris police officers to remain in custody over beating of Black music producer

Three Paris police officers being held over the beating of a Black music producer during an arrest a week ago will remain in custody for now, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said on Sunday. Heitz told a press briefing that judicial authorities wanted to make sure that the three did not have any contact with one another and that they could not exert any pressure on witnesses.

Three Paris police officers being held over the beating of a Black music producer during an arrest a week ago will remain in custody for now, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said on Sunday.

Heitz told a press briefing that judicial authorities wanted to make sure that the three did not have any contact with one another and that they could not exert any pressure on witnesses. The minutes-long beating of producer Michel Zecler was recorded on CCTV and has been widely circulated on social media, sparking an outcry in the national and foreign press and demonstrations against police violence across the country on Friday and Saturday.

President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that the images were shameful for France. Prosecutor Heitz said the officers would be charged with intentional violence with weapons, the use of racist language, falsifying police records, violation of a private home and intentional damage to a private home.

A fourth police officer, who is not accused of taking part in the beating but of throwing a tear gas grenade into Zecler's music studio, would be suspended from active service and placed under judicial control, Heitz said.

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