Initial reporting on the incident (informed by police statements) was later contradicted by a video posted online, which led to widespread protests and riots.

[4][5] The killing—condemned by President Emmanuel Macron as "inexplicable" and "inexcusable"[6]—became part of a broader public debate regarding aggressive French law enforcement,[7] racial profiling,[8] immigration,[9] and the stakes of naming the suburban violence a "riot" rather than a "revolt".

[13] In 2017, a law was passed permitting police to shoot at a vehicle fleeing a traffic stop, if the driver was putting the passengers or passersby at risk.

[20] Nahel Merzouk (French pronunciation: [naɛl mɛʁzuk]; Arabic: نايل مرزوق) was a 17-year-old enrolled at the Lycée Louis-Blériot in Suresnes, where he attended classes for six months before dropping out and working as a pizza delivery driver in Nanterre.

[29] According to the public prosecutor of Nanterre, two Paris Police Prefecture motorcycle officers noticed a Mercedes-Benz A Class AMG with a Polish license plate driving at high speed in a bus lane, driven by a young-looking person at around 7:55 am.

The officers activated their warning signals (audible and visual) and indicated to the driver of the car, then stationary at a red traffic light, to stop.

[5] On the day of his death, it is alleged that he "disobeyed and committed several traffic offences, endangering the lives of a pedestrian and a cyclist", and refused to turn off the ignition.

Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin said he would seek the dissolution of a small far-right union, Syndicat France Police, which welcomed the shooting of Merzouk.

[41] This version, citing self-defense, was challenged after the publication of a video showing that the car was not in a position to harm the police officers and was not heading towards them.

[15] Yassine Bouzrou, a lawyer representing Merzouk, has stated that the video completely disproves this assertion and alleges that the brigadier[a] had an "intention to kill".

[50][16] The BBC's Hugh Schofield attributed this to the effects of social media, allowing for the dissemination of such videos with ease, as well as fear stemming from the ensuing riots.

[51][52] Far-right politician Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party, dubbed Macron's statements as "excessive" and "irresponsible", adding that "the president is prepared to ignore constitutional principles in a bid to put out a potential fire.

"[54] FC Barcelona footballer Jules Koundé criticized the coverage of the incident, stating that news media were capitalizing on it to "distort the truth" and find excuses to criminalize Merzouk.

"[56] Le Parisien and BFM TV have been criticized for relaying the police's account without any caution in the early hours of the event, before changing their narrative in response to the video evidence and pressure from other media outlets.

[57] The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights asked France to address systemic racism within its police forces, and called for the protests to be peaceful.

[60][61] An article signed by more than one hundred personalities, including Angela Davis, Achille Mbembe, Thomas Piketty, Annie Ernaux, Eric Cantona, Judith Butler, Ken Loach, Adèle Haenel, Peter Gabriel, and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker was published in L'Humanité, entitled "This time, everyone has seen" and calling for participation in the united march against police violence on July 15, 2023.

The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, when asked by a senator from The Republicans to describe "in what way" the rioters were French, replied that "there were many Kevins and Mattéos among those arrested" and said that he thought any identity-based reading of the events would be a mistake.

[66] The emphasis on immigration by LR was described by the magazine Marianne as part of a campaign strategy to attract Eric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen voters in upcoming elections.

[73] On the afternoon of June 29, thousands of people[74] held a white march led by mothers and activists in Nanterre demanding "justice for Nahel".