Autopsy: Paris police shot Chinese man in heart
By Zhang Rui , China.org.cn, March 31, 2017
Members of the Chinese community gather at Place de la Bastille in Paris, France, March 30, 2017, after a Chinese man was shot dead by police at his Paris home last Sunday, triggering riots in the French capital by members of the Chinese community and a diplomatic protest by Beijing. [Photo/ VCG]
An autopsy report shows the Chinese man shot dead in Paris on Sunday night by a French policeman suffered a gunshot to his heart.
The report, released on Wednesday night, said the fatal bullet came from a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun. The shot hit 2mm into the left side of the heart, sufficient to cause instant death.
However, the autopsy report did not state who was responsible for the tragedy.
Liu Shaoyao, 56, was described as a "loving father" by his children. His death caused uproar among Chinese community in Paris as well as in China. The French police previously claimed Liu was shot in an act of
"legitimate defense" against "an assailant with scissors," after the police were called to deal with
an alleged "domestic dispute."
However, Liu's family claimed
the scissors were being used in preparing fish for cooking, and
he had no record of psychiatric problems, alcoholic abuse nor a record of violence in the past; hence, he should have been warned first rather than being shot directly after their door was broken down.
Liu's daughter further explained that
the policemen were in plain clothes. Liu
saw the plainclothes police officer through the peephole in the door,
but he was afraid to open it. The police then smashed down the door, and, upon seeing Liu holding the scissors, shot him.
Liu probably had good reason to believe
those plainclothes policemen were gangsters. The newspaper Nouvelles D'Europe reported there was precedent that
in December 2016, several fake cops illegally imprisoned another Chinese family in Seine-Saint-Denis.
Local media reports from Le Monde and Le Nouvel Observateur both
quoted a neighbor's account, confirming that she also looked through the door viewer when she heard someone loudly knocking on Liu's door.
"They were just knocking at the door, and they were in plain clothes, and they didn't say they were police. Two minutes later, I heard the gunshot; it was too fast."
Currently, there are two investigations underway related to the case. One is from the Paris prosecution department regarding a possible attempted homicide directed against a police officer, and the second from the General Inspectorate of the National Police, on the use of a lethal weapon by a police officer.
The police officer who shot Liu has been suspended and is on sick leave, undergoing psychological counseling, according to local media.
The protests against Liu's shooting and police brutality have continued for four days in the French capital. However, protesters yesterday were more calm and peaceful than the first three days.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Paris' 19th arrondissement, where Liu was shot dead, on Monday and Tuesday, with demonstrations turning into riots on both nights. A total of 35 persons were arrested on Monday evening, with four remaining in police custody. No arrests were made on Wednesday, but two protesters and six security officers were injured in clashes.
China has called for overseas Chinese living in France to react rationally amid the protests over the shooting. "We understand the reactions of Chinese people to this incident, and hope they can exercise restraint, avoid repeating such conflicts and escalating tensions," sad Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang at a daily briefing on Wednesday.
The Chinese migrant community also held a meeting on Thursday and released a joint statement, sending deep condolences to Liu's family and appealing to the French authorities and police to respect human rights and not to overreact in the law enforcement process despite terrorist threats.
Liu Shaoyao's memorial service and demonstration will be held on April 1, community leaders said.