Detail from the French coverage I’ve read that’s not in the above. The police all got back into their car but then got back out to arrest him. One of them is heard asking, “is being called a ‘bunch of clowns’ enough to arrest him?” whilst they radioed back to notify what they intended.
Also, from the exchange it’s clear the police escalated it throughout. So after every mild insult from Chouviat, they would reply something like “what did you call me, [much harsher insult that only an idiot could possibly have confused what he said for]?”
It was reported after it happened, and the investigation—such as it is—is ongoing. It got reported on here yesterday because Mediapart and Le Monde got hold of details from the investigation, including the audio recording from his phone. He started it to record the encounter and then didn’t have a chance to turn it off before they killed him.
It’s somewhat common to leak details from sensitive investigations to the press here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this got leaked now because of what’s going on.
(The Police were interviewed for the criminal investigation for the first time last week, so the leak probably related to that as well.)
My old boss is an ultra deplorable with a bizarre conflict over the harm he does to people because of it, but he copes by drinking because he believes despite his feelings, discipline and punishment are the best tools to better people. He feels bad that he caused someone harm, NOT that he insists on using tools and strategies that cause harm.
People used to come into his office in tears. He’d cry with them and then say, “But you can’t let this affect you like that. Don’t you see? I’m just trying to make you better.”
I can’t tell you how to cope. I do it by withdrawing myself because as a cis white dude I get to do that periodically.
There really is no way to cope if you carry everything with you, which I think is fine to do and morally correct but utterly exhausting.
The hero of Camus’ The Plague ultimately finds peace with small resistance according to his own abilities. It’s not possible for him to do it alone. You can only do what you can do. And what you are doing is amazing.
Hugs. Rest, tell us, talk it out, what you are going through is absurd.
