Fact check: Have fatal police shootings in “Refus d’obtempérer” cases increased fivefold since 2017?

Paris – 10.07.2026: In the National Assembly, MP Éric Coquerel reiterated the claim that the number of people killed by police gunfire in connection with “Refus d’obtempérer” — refusal to comply with an order to stop — has increased fivefold since 2017. His warning came during a debate on a legal presumption of the legitimacy of firearm use, which critics consider a risk for more shootings during interventions. The claim reignited discussions about the statistical recording of police violence and the interpretation of operational rules.

Publicly available investigations show a nuanced picture. Media analyses and reports by human rights organizations document an increase in shootings and fatal incidents in stopping or pursuit situations since 2017. Some data assessments point to significant increases in shootings at vehicles. At the same time, there is no continuous, officially consolidated annual series that conclusively confirms a fivefold increase in deaths in this specific context. Depending on the method of counting — only deaths in “Refus d’obtempérer,” all shootings at vehicles, shootings in offenses related to fleeing, or broader categories — different results emerge.

The core of the debate lies in the methodology. While some NGOs and research projects report relative increases, state institutions usually accompany their publications with warnings about data comparability. Internal information cited in part points to significant increases in shootings, but the applicability of these observations to the narrow set of fatal cases within the framework of “Refus d’obtempérer” remains limited. Without consistent definitions regarding the context of the incident, the inclusion of passengers and uninvolved third parties, or the distinction from other operational situations, claims expressed in percentages and multiples are open to challenge.

In 2017, Article 435-1 of the Code de la sécurité intérieure was amended. Supporters see it as a clarification; critics see it as an expansion of the scope for shooting, especially at moving vehicles. Since then, the police and the Ministry of the Interior have referred to internal controls and training, and the judiciary to investigations in suspicious cases. Independent, standardized, and annually published data series would be necessary to assess trends reliably and support political decisions with evidence.

Assessment: There are strong indications of an increase in police shootings and fatal incidents since 2017. The specific expression “increased fivefold” for deaths in the strict area of “Refus d’obtempérer” cannot be verified using the currently available public and comparable figures. A serious classification requires transparent and uniform indicators, as well as regularly published statistics from the competent authorities.