A farewell party held at the Saint-Denis police station in Seine-Saint-Denis took a dramatic turn at the end of July. Officers from the anti-crime squad, gathered to celebrate the transfer of one of their colleagues to another region, launched fireworks from the station courtyard. The falling debris caused a fire on the building's green roof.
A foam fight with fire extinguishers
Before the mortar fire, several officers used the station's fire extinguishers to organize a foam fight. The building's safety equipment was thus used for a few moments before a fire broke out on the roof. The evening continued with fireworks mortars launched from the courtyard. Projectiles landed on the green roof, which caught fire. The fire required the intervention of firefighters to be brought under control. No injuries were reported.
Two police officers were present despite being under judicial supervision.
Another particularly sensitive aspect of that evening was the presence of two former members of the Anti-Crime Brigade (BAC), who were among the attendees despite being under judicial supervision. This supervision prohibited them from traveling to Saint-Denis and from contacting each other while awaiting trial. Their presence at the police station therefore constituted a violation of the obligations imposed upon them. The two officers are to be tried on September 3rd, along with two other police officers, for events dating back to March 2025. They are suspected of having picked up a street vendor selling cigarettes, assaulting him, and stealing his personal belongings, before attempting to legitimize the incident with a false police report. The case prompted an investigation by the General Inspectorate of the National Police. The charges include arbitrary arrest, aggravated assault by public officials, theft, vandalism, and forgery of official documents.
Their judicial supervision is tightened
Following the discovery of their presence at the farewell party, their judicial supervision was tightened. Bail and a requirement to report daily to the authorities were added to the existing measures. These new obligations will remain in effect until their trial, scheduled for early September.
An administrative inquiry has been opened
The incidents that evening led to the opening of an administrative inquiry to precisely establish the responsibilities of the police officers present, particularly regarding the use of fire extinguishers, the firing of mortars, and the fire that destroyed the roof of the police station. The Saint-Denis police station had already been the subject of another administrative inquiry following mortar fire on the night of April 30th to May 1st, 2025. A video filmed by a local resident showed men, some on a scooter and a motorcycle, firing fireworks at the building's facade. Police command had opened an investigation to determine, among other things, whether the individuals visible in the footage were indeed police officers. The fire that occurred at the end of July 2026 thus triggered a second administrative inquiry concerning mortar fire around the Saint-Denis police station in just over a year.
