France dispatches 40,000 cops ahead of third night of riots, looting, and firebombings

France, presently on its fifth republic since 1792, has mobilized an army of 40,000 police to deal with the violent riots that have transformed parts of Paris and the countryside into lawless infernos. 5,000 units will be dispatched to Paris alone.

What's the background?

The Associated Press referenced a possible video of the incident circulating online that appears to show two police officers leaning on the driver side of the rental car.

In the video, Naël, who previously had run-ins with the law over his "refusal to comply," appears to disregard their orders, raise his voice, then veer forward, at which point one officer opens fire.

While Naël hit the gas while an officer was ostensibly leaning on the hood of the vehicle, the media and prosecutors have claimed he had not tried to run them over.

French police are allowed to open fire when they feel their life or physical safety or the life of another individual is at risk; when an area or group of people under their protection are under attack; when they need to prevent a dangerous person from fleeing; "When they are unable to stop a vehicle whose driver has ignored an order to stop and whose occupants are likely to pose a risk to their life or physical safety, or other people’s"; or if doing so may preclude a murder from occurring, reported Al Jazeera.

The officers indicated they feared for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists as Naël had previously ignored their warnings, refused to stop, and had rushed down a bus lane.

Pascal Prache, the Nanterre prosecutor, confirmed Thursday that the 38-year-old officer who shot Naël has been arrested and is presently under investigation on suspicion of murder, reported the Telegraph.

"Conditions for the legal use of a firearm were not met," said Prache, adding that the officer's single shot "went through his right arm and into his chest."

Naël mother claimed, "They took away my baby, he was still a child, he needed his mother," reported the Independent.

The rioting and looting begins

The protests and rioting began Tuesday evening just hours after the news of the shooting went viral.

Although the investigation into the officer who shot Naël was and remains far from concluded, French President Emmanuel Macron rushed to state, "A teenager was killed. That is inexplicable and unforgivable. Nothing can justify the death of a young person."

Marine Le Pen, Macron's rightest opponent and member of the National Rally, suggested the president's remarks were "excessive" and expressed surprise at the "swiftness of this stance."

The Telegraph reported that the Alliance Police Nationale union similarly denounced the president's rush to throw the officer under the bus, stating, "Like certain politicians, artists and others, should flout the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary by condemning our colleagues even before [justice] has been pronounced. ... Like any citizen, [the officer] has the right to the presumption of innocence."

Macron's swift denunciation of the French cop did little to mollify prospective firebombers, looters, and rioters.

Rioters targeted French police with various kinds of incendiary devices.

Some among the mob looted and pillaged while police, spread thin, desperately tried to restore order.

The country's interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, indicated that 31 people were arrested the first night of the riots, which saw 25 police officers injured and at least 40 cars torched.

At an emergency meeting, Macron stated, "The last few hours have been marked by scenes of violence against police stations but also schools and town halls, and thus institutions of the Republic and these scenes are wholly unjustifiable."

The mayhem resumed Wednesday, with rioters torching government buildings and attacking police, at least 170 of whom were injured.

Police, including the 2,000 mobilized in the Paris region, and firefighters reportedly struggled throughout the second night of the riots to extinguish the fires.

Darmanin indicated 180 people were arrested, underscoring that the "response of the state must be extremely firm."

By early Thursday morning, over 100 public buildings were damaged, including the town hall in the Paris suburb of L’Ile-Saint-Denis, and public transportation had been shut down in Paris and the surrounding area, with one official stressing, "Our transports are not targets for thugs and vandals!"

A tram had been torched in Clamart and a bus was set ablaze in the Essonne region south of Paris, reported the Telegraph.

The New York Times indicated there is presently no sign of the riots dying down.

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