Overview

• The prefect, Philippe Court, lodged an insult and defamation complaint on August 19 and urged the removal of the message, calling it dishonoring for an elected official.
• Aurélien Taché said he will not delete the post and framed his stance as protected speech, invoking the Adama Traoré case to question official narratives.
• In his message on X, Taché wrote that “la police tue partout,” citing the Val-d’Oise and the Deux-Sèvres and sending thoughts to Gabriel Bée’s family.
• Prosecutors said a gendarme fired two shots during a nighttime response to a noise complaint in Augé in May, and the self-defense theory is currently preferred as inquiries continue.
• Interior minister Bruno Retailleau publicly supported the prefect’s action with a call to “ne rien laisser passer,” signaling institutional backing for police.