French Police to Stand Trial for 2020 Death of Cédric Chouviat

Three officers face involuntary homicide charges over the death of a delivery driver who repeatedly said 'I'm suffocating' during his arrest.

Cédric Chouviat, a 42-year-old delivery driver, died in January 2020 after being tackled to the ground by police during a traffic stop in Paris.
Judges determined the officers demonstrated 'inappropriate, negligent, and imprudent behavior' that led to Chouviat's asphyxiation.
Chouviat said 'I'm suffocating' nine times in 13 seconds before losing consciousness; he died two days later in the hospital.
The case has become a symbol of police violence in France, drawing comparisons to the 2020 death of George Floyd in the United States.
The family and their lawyers welcomed the trial as a step toward accountability but criticized the involuntary homicide charge, arguing the violence was intentional.