Dorian Damelincourt was a French firefighter who died while fighting a fire while riots continued to break out in France following the police shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk.
Merzouk was shot and killed by a French police officer as he tried to drive away from a traffic stop, according to a viral video.
However, authorities have not established whether the fire was related to the rioting or was part of an “insurance scam,” according to a Facebook post from Le Figaro.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Interior Minister Says Dorian Damelincourt Died ‘Fighting Against a Fire’ in an Underground Car Park in Saint-Denis, France
Gerald Darmanin, the French foreign minister, confirmed Damelincourt’s death in a statement posted to his Twitter page.
“Last night, while fighting against a fire from several vehicles in an underground car park in Saint-Denis (93), a young 24-year-old Corporal-Chief of the Paris Fire Brigade died despite the very rapid care by his teammates,” he wrote.
“All my sincere and saddened condolences to his family, loved ones, comrades and to the BSPP.”
According to the French-language news site, Le Parisien, “The incident occurred in the town of Saint-Denis, at 87 rue du Landy, shortly before three in the morning, on the night of Sunday to Monday. Dorian Damelincourt and his colleagues then intervene ‘for a covered parking lot fire.'”
The site reported that Damelincourt “is the victim of a cardiac arrest” who might have been “hit by an explosion just before.”
2. A Friend Wrote That He Will Keep in Mind Their ‘Pure Moments’ & ‘Our Silly Talks That We Loved So Much’
Tributes flowed on Facebook for Damelincourt. “My Dodo, I was so proud to see you progressing so well on Panama. I keep in mind our laughs; our silly talks that we loved so much; our pure moments. RIP my friend,” wrote Francois Pat.
Pompiers Paris tweeted, “Master Corporal Dorian Damelincourt died in the fire this morning. True to the #BSPP motto, he went through with his commitment. Our thoughts turn today to his family and to his hard-hit brothers in arms.”
3. Dorian Damelincourt Wrote on Facebook That He Lived in Bourg-Saint-Maurice
According to his Facebook page, Damelincourt lived and was from Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France.
His page also describes him as single. The page contains a single photo.
French politician Marc Medina and others observed a moment of silence for Damelincourt, with Medina writing on Facebook:
We met this noon because, in the face of significant degradation of urban materials, shops and public buildings, we call for the restoration of republican order.
I also want to extend my full support to Armelle Revel Fourcade, Mayor of Soler, whom we accompanied this morning to court, following the threats she received. To mess with elected officials is to attack our democracy.
Finally, we paid our respects to the commitment of Master Corporal Dorian Damelincourt, who died in fire last night, by observing a minute’s silence.
Thank you all for your presence.
4. Police Are Investigating Whether the Fire Was Related to an Insurance Scam Instead of the Rioting, Reports Say
Le Figaro wrote on Facebook that it’s unclear whether Damelincourt’s death is related to the rioting.
“The young Corporal-Chief Dorian Damelincourt was intervening in an underground parking lot on rue du Landy, this Monday, July 3rd,” the news site wrote.
“A police source cites a possible ‘insurance scam.’ but no formal link has yet been established between the fire this firefighter was intervening and the urban violence that has shaken France since the death of 17-year-old Nahel, shot dead by a police officer in Nanterre.”
5. The Rioting in France Has Involved Torched Cars & Looted Stores
Honneur au caporal-chef Dorian Damelincourt mort en héros pour sauver des vies. Pour ce jeune #pompier, Mathieu Kassovitz ne versera pas une larme, #OmarSy n’exigera aucune justice digne de ce nom, @atchouameni n’aura pas le cœur brisé et #Mbappe n’aura pas mal à sa France.
According to Reuters, the riots that broke out after Merzouk’s death included “torched cars, looted stores and targeted town halls, state schools and state-owned properties.”
A French mayor’s house was rammed with a vehicle and lit on fire, and his wife suffered a broken leg while escaping.
According to Reuters, “some 45,000 police would be deployed for a fourth consecutive night” of rioting that led to “more than 5,600 cars torched, 1,000 private properties burned down or damaged and 250 police stations attacked.”
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