Protests erupt in Paris suburb following violent arrest and sodomization of black man

• A police officer was charged with using his baton to sodomize Théo L., a 22-year-old black man, while arresting him in the northern suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois.
• Police accused the man, who had no previous criminal record, of resisting during a check of his identity papers, but the brutal force used led to the suspension of all four officers involved.
• Protests took place across the ethnically diverse northern suburbs, including marches, clashes with police, and arrests as protesters called for justice.

Coverage (English)

“French police brutality in spotlight again after officer charged with rape” (The Guardian | February 2017)
“A French Police Officer Allegedly Raped A Man With A Baton During A Check Of His Papers” (BuzzFeed News | February 2017)
“Protesters target police in Paris suburb unrest” (Reuters | February 2017)

Coverage (French)

“A Bobigny, un rassemblement contre les violences policières tourne mal” (Le Monde | February 2017)
“A Aulnay-sous-Bois, la tension est redescendue d’un cran” (Radio France Internationale | February 2017)

(Image Credit: AFP/Getty Images, via BuzzFeed News)