Steve had drowned in the Loire after a controversial police intervention. Tried for involuntary manslaughter, the police commissioner was finally acquitted, the court finding that he had not committed any “characterized fault” directly leading to Steve’s fall into the river.

Aged 54, Chassaing will now be able to continue his career as head of the Lyon public security district. However, on the final day of the trial, prosecutor Philippe Astruc had called for a conviction, arguing that the collective action taken under the commissioner’s direction had created a situation that led to the death of Steve, a 24-year-old after-school youth worker. However, the prosecution had only asked for a “penalty in principle”, without specifying the exact nature of the sanction.

A tense context and extenuating circumstances

Despite the seriousness of the facts, the public prosecutor recognized extenuating circumstances. It had been established that, during the intervention, the police officers under Chassaing’s command had acted on their own initiative, throwing a dozen tear gas grenades in response to projectiles hurled by participants refusing to stop the sound-systems at 4am. Some police officers had cited self-defense in the face of the prevailing tensions, exacerbated by the presence of demonstrators and the tense climate linked to the Yellow Vests movement.

In his defense, Me Louis Cailliez, the commissioner’s lawyer, had asked for the case to be dismissed, insisting that Chassaing had not intentionally provoked the confrontation with the revelers, nor ordered the firing of tear gas. He stressed that the situation had got out of hand, declaring: “We must not add injustice to everything that happened that evening”.

A confession and an avoidable tragedy

During the trial, Chassaing admitted some responsibility, saying: “I didn’t have everything under control, but who could have been blameless in such conditions? Nevertheless, the defense refuted the idea that his actions had directly led to the death.

For their part, Steve’s family’s lawyers pointed the finger at a series of errors in the management of the operation, denouncing a lack of anticipation and poor organization which, in their view, contributed to the disaster. Steve Maia Caniço had fallen into the Loire at an unsecured point on the quay, two minutes after the start of grenade fire. Unable to swim and suffering from a childhood phobia of water, he was unable to reach the shore, despite the presence of a rescue team. His body was not found until a month later, brought to the surface by the current and discovered by the pilot of a river shuttle.

This case, which aroused strong emotions and a wide-ranging debate on the use of force during police interventions, ended with the commissioner’s acquittal, but left many questions unanswered about the shared responsibilities on that tragic night.