A police officer in the southern French city of Carcassonne is under formal investigation after video footage emerged showing him violently throwing a man to the ground during the Fête de la musique festival on 21 June. The clip, which has circulated widely on social media, has intensified scrutiny of policing practices in the Aude department, coming just days after a separate scandal involving recordings of officers making racist, misogynistic and conspiracy-related remarks.
The public prosecutor's office in Carcassonne announced on Sunday that a judicial investigation had been opened for “intentional violence by a person vested with public authority.” The decision followed the release of the video by Thomas Portes, a member of the French National Assembly, who wrote on social media: “In Carcassonne, the police are out of control!”
The footage shows several officers standing near a group of people when one officer approaches a young man from behind and hurls him to the ground. The man, later identified as a 29-year-old homeless person, is seen curling up and protecting his head as bystanders protest, with one voice heard saying: “It's being filmed.”
According to the prosecutor's office, the officers had been responding to reports of noise disturbance during the annual music festival. The man was not the subject of the intervention, was not arrested, and did not file a complaint. However, on 3 July, he was found in cardiac arrest at his camp. An investigation into the cause of his death was opened, but an autopsy carried out on 9 July ruled out any suspicious traumatic injury pointing to the involvement of a third party.
IGPN called in
The Inspectorate General of the National Police (IGPN), France's police watchdog, has been tasked with examining the circumstances of the 21 June incident. The prosecutor's office said it referred the case to the Marseille branch of the IGPN on Sunday, “as soon as it became aware of this video.”
The new footage also shows César R., one of four officers suspended following the release of a previous video by the newspaper Midi Libre on 8 September. In that earlier recording, César R. was reportedly responsible for nearly 90% of the hateful remarks captured during a patrol, which included racist insults, a call for a coup, and the repetition of a transphobic conspiracy theory targeting Brigitte Macron. In the new clip, he appears as a witness but does not intervene.
The National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, has condemned the remarks made by the officers. The party, which has sought to position itself as a defender of law and order, distanced itself from César R., who had volunteered with the party's security detail.
The case has reignited debates about police accountability in France, a country where tensions between law enforcement and marginalised communities have repeatedly flared. The fact that the victim was homeless has drawn particular attention, with advocacy groups pointing to the vulnerability of people living on the streets. Similar concerns have been raised across Europe, from bodycam footage in Germany to debates over police conduct in the UK.
While the autopsy has ruled out foul play in the man's death, the investigation into the violent takedown continues. The IGPN's findings will be crucial in determining whether the officer faces disciplinary or criminal consequences. For now, the video has become a symbol of the challenges facing French policing, as the country grapples with questions of proportionality, oversight, and public trust.
