Miner's hand torn from Saint-Étienne: complaints filed against the shooter and Laurent Nuñez

A 17-year-old student who lost his hand in a grenade attack during protests against rising living costs in Saint-Étienne has filed complaints against both the officer who fired the grenade and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. The victim’s lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou, announced the complaints on Monday evening, stating one was directed at the law enforcement official responsible for the shot, while the other targeted Nuñez before the Court of Justice of the Republic. The first complaint accuses the officer of “voluntary violence resulting in disfigurement,” aggravated by the use of a weapon and their status as a public authority representative. The second complaint, which was viewed by Le Figaro, charges Nuñez with complicity in aggravated violence through instructions. The Court of Justice of the Republic is the only body authorized to judge crimes committed by government officials in the course of their duties. Bouzrou alleged that Nuñez had reintroduced the use of loudening grenades after they were suspended following the serious injury of a high school student in Lens on October 5. In the complaint, Bouzrou noted that the specific model of grenade used in Saint-Étienne would need to be determined by the investigation, along with the circumstances of its deployment. Citing statements attributed to Nuñez on October 16, just before the demonstration, Bouzrou stated: “If there were extremely serious urban violence at the edge of a procession or elsewhere tomorrow, obviously this type of weaponry could be used.” He claimed Nuñez had reintroduced these grenades fully aware of their dangers, adding that without Nuñez’s decision, the victim would still have both hands. The National Gendarmerie Inspection General (IGGN) and the National Police Inspection General (IGPN) have been jointly tasked with investigating the case. Nuñez previously stated that the grenade used might have belonged to the gendarmerie but confirmed that an investigation would determine the facts.