Justice sends everyone back to back in the case opposing the mayor of Venette to one young of the traveling people. Romuald Seels had criticized this young person for practicing motorcycle rodeo in an unsuitable place, in this case the Venette BMX field. The events in question took place on the afternoon of Sunday December 22.
At the end of his police custody, two days later, the Compiègne public prosecutor’s office opened a judicial investigation against Romuald Seels, mayor of Venette, and against the young man. Respectively heads of aggravated intentional violenceby person holding public authority and with use or threat of a weapon. And “against X”, counts of aggravated willful violence and death threats against a person holding public authority.
“I wanted to apologize,” the young man reportedly said.
The young man told investigators that he was practicing motocross on a Venette site, and that in no case was it a motorcycle rodeo. It was at this moment that, according to this young person, Romuald Seels shouted at him, getting out of his vehicle.
The young man then explains that he approached the mayor’s vehicle, but without belligerent intention. He just wanted to apologize, he explained to law enforcement. At this time, according to him, the mayor returned to his vehicle. From which he allegedly came out with “a gun at his head” before leaving.
A version that the young man explained to the police, where he surrendered himself after the altercation.
Romuald Seels, in police custody, explained that he had just reminded the young man “not to do motocross on this BMX field”. He allegedly approached his vehicle and pressed him against his seat with one hand on his neck.
The mayor says he panicked
Panicked, the mayor, according to the prosecution, grabbed an unloaded alarm gun from under the seat. He got out of his vehicle with the gun in his hand, he defended himself. Without ever pointing it at the young man, who fled.
A witness at the scene confirmed the fact that he did not point the weapon at the young man. For his part, Romuald Seels said he had received death threats over the phone. At the end of his custody, the courts placed him under the status of assisted witness.
