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Paris policemen are facing suspension after a video of them tear-gassing a homeless person surfaced on social media, sparking a debate on police brutality.
Faced with a public backlash, the Paris police in a tweet on Friday evening said it has approached the agency of Inspectorate General of the National Police to investigate the incident of the use of tear gas by a police crew.
A criminal investigation will be opened against the police crew on night patrol for indulging in violence with a service weapon. “Officials once identified will be subject to suspension,” the tweet said.
The 20-second video clip published on social networks shows a police vehicle reversing down a street in Bourget in the suburbs of Seine-Saint-Denis after spotting a homeless man on the sidewalk of a street.
A policeman then sprays a large volume of tear gas at the man’s face without any provocation and the vehicle drives off, while the shocked man screams helplessly and collapses on the sidewalk.