French policeman charged after firing tear gas grenade at high school student, says prosecutor

A French policeman has been charged with violence after firing a tear gas grenade at a 14-year-old student during high school protests, according to prosecutors in Pontoise. The incident, which occurred last week in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumone, northwest of Paris, left the boy, named Eden, with most of his teeth missing and significant facial injuries.

Three helmeted police officers were seen in widely circulated videos facing the student, with one of them firing the grenade round at his face, causing him to fall to the ground. The officer, who was detained for questioning, claimed he used the weapon in response to the teenager's resistance, but the prosecutor stated that the use of force was disproportionate.

The teenager's jaw, fractured during the incident, required surgery and is now sealed shut, leaving him unable to speak and requiring nourishment through a straw. His mother described the extent of his injuries, stating that all his upper teeth were broken and lower teeth torn out. Police have faced criticism for their use of tear gas and other force during the protests, with unions, rights groups, and the children themselves accusing them of employing disproportionate force.