France mobilized tens of thousands of police officers Thursday in an effort to head off widespread urban rioting following the deadly police shooting of a 17-year-old that shocked the nation, with commuters rushing home before transport services closed early to avoid being targeted by rioters.
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Protesters in some cities set fires in the streets as the night progressed.
The police officer accused of pulling the trigger Tuesday was handed a preliminary charge of voluntary homicide after prosecutor Pascal Prache said his initial investigation led him to conclude "the conditions for the legal use of the weapon were not met."
The detained police officer's lawyer, speaking on French television channel BFM-TV, said the officer was sorry and "devastated." The officer did what he thought was necessary in the moment, attorney Laurent-Franck Lienard told the news outlet.
"He doesn't get up in the morning to kill people," Lienard said of the officer, whose name has not been released. "He really didn't want to kill. But now he must defend himself, as he's the one who's detained and sleeping in prison."
