Investigative reports from Libération and Mediapart have identified the gendarme who fired an illegal shot that nearly killed activist Serge Duteuil-Graziani [1].
The identification comes despite the courts having previously closed the case, raising questions about police accountability and the legality of force used during civil unrest.
The incident occurred March 25, 2023 [1], in Sainte-Soline, France. During a police operation aimed at dispersing environmental protesters, a gendarme fired a prohibited shot that wounded Duteuil-Graziani [1]. The shot was described as illegal under the protocols governing police operations [1].
Libération and Mediapart conducted investigative work to trace the shot back to a specific individual within the gendarmerie [1]. This effort follows a period of legal stalemate where the identity of the shooter remained undisclosed to the public and the victim. The reporting highlights a discrepancy between the official judicial conclusion and the evidence uncovered by the journalists [2].
Cameras operated by the gendarmerie themselves provided critical evidence in the identification process [2]. The use of these recordings has turned the security forces' own documentation against the institution by exposing the source of the illegal fire [2].
While the judicial system had ceased its pursuit of the matter, the naming of the officer by the press places new pressure on the French government to address the conduct of the security forces during the Sainte-Soline protests [1].
“Libération and Mediapart have identified the gendarme who fired an illegal shot that nearly killed activist Serge Duteuil-Graziani.”
This development underscores the role of investigative journalism in challenging judicial closures in cases of state violence. By using the gendarmerie's own footage to identify a specific officer, the reports suggest that internal police documentation may contain evidence that was either overlooked or ignored by the courts, potentially reopening the debate over police immunity in France.
