France investigates police officer after video shows violent encounter leading to man's death

The General Inspectorate of the Police (IGPN) has launched an investigation into the death of a 29-year-old man, Youssef E, following the release of a video showing a police officer violently throwing him to the ground. The incident occurred in Carcassonne on June 21 following a music festival.

Youssef E died in the hospital 13 days after the encounter. While the Carcassonne prosecutor's office initially stated there was no causal link between the incident and the death—citing an autopsy that suggested toxic causes and ruled out suspicious injuries—the emergence of the video has changed the legal trajectory. The case has now been referred to the IGPN branch in Marseille for a judicial investigation into “intentional violence by a person holding public authority.”

The victim's brother, Hamza, has contested previous claims by prosecutors that the man was homeless or a drug addict, stating that Youssef had a room in his parents' home and had simply been consuming cannabis and alcohol with friends during the festival.