01x04 - Episode 4

[bunniefuu]

PREVIOUSLY

[doctor] Autopsy of Malik Oussekine.

Multiple hematomas
in the mid-abdominal region.

-Black and white?
-It's all I have.

Okay.

And they establish a probable connection

between the effects of his injuries
and Malik's demise.

A witness came in.
There were three of them.

Come on!

I picked up the g*n,
and I was gonna call the police.

He is certain
he never entered the building at all.

[Duruisseau]
If my men did something wrong,

they will have to answer for that.

It's a matter of honor:
Mine and that of the police.

But it's not really the problem.

The truth is, there are people
who are angry because we want justice.

And they'll do anything they can
to stop us.

How do we prove this crime is r*cist?

-Everything I've done, it's been for you!
-I hope you're fine with the results.

Sir!

[Kiejman] The trial will proceed.

The two police officers who k*lled Malik
will face charges.

It's a step toward recognizing
what happened to Malik.

-[pounding]
-Open the door, will you, please?

Sir, will you please let me in?
I beg you! Open the door.

[breathing heavily]

[instructor] Sincerity.

[students]
To express your thoughts without deceit.

-[baby babbles]
-[instructor] Modesty.

To speak of one's self
without pride or ego.

[praying in Arabic]

[in English] Thanks so much. Thanks.

And self-control is what?

It's the force to act without anger.

[camera shutters clicking]

-[instructor] And courage?
-Is the fight for what is true and good.

[door opens]

[clerk] Your Honor, it's time to go.

[camera shutters clicking]

[whispering, indistinct]

[officer] Excuse me, please. Time to go.

They're not in cuffs?
What is this bullshit?

I have no idea.

[clerk] All rise!

[judge] Be seated.

Court is in session.

"With regard to the demise of
the 22-year-old student Malik Oussekine,

on the 6th of December 1986,
which is over three years ago,

in the presence of both defendants,
Officer Garcia, 25,

and Brigade Sergeant Schmitt, 57.

The defendants appearing
before the criminal court face

a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison

for as*ault and battery
and involuntary manslaughter,

and with the aggregating factor that these
acts were committed by police officers,

acting as agents of the public
and in the line of duty."

Excuse me, Your Honor. I'm not a k*ller.

[judge] Please, sit down.

I want to look directly
at the Oussekine family,

and I want to tell the truth.

-Please, sit down!
-[Garcia] This is from the heart.

I deeply regret what happened.

[judge] Mr. Garcia, sit down!

[people murmuring]

You will have the opportunity to speak
in due time.

Your Honor, first of all,

I must remind the jurors that, ordinarily,

when fatal blows are delivered
by members of law enforcement,

no less than life in prison would be
the maximum sentence.

Are you already objecting?

I am not objecting.
I'm providing clarification.

Your Honor, please.

The attorney representing the victim
doesn't clarify sanctions.

Indeed.

Your Honor, sanctions are germane
to the victim's interest.

I have to represent a dead man.

We cannot get his account of what happened
on the night of December 6, 1986.

Even if the accused didn't intend to k*ll
Malik Oussekine,

his death did occur.

Since you're opening arguments,
Mr. Kiejman, you should know

that acquittal in this case is
the only verdict we consider sensible.

[Kiejman]
Shamelessness will not dissuade us.

We will crush you, Garaud.

I'd prefer to die
rather than be crushed by you.

That's enough, gentlemen. Please.

It's no surprise, as a partisan of a
certain category of this nation's opinion,

that you'd adopt that line of defense.

-[Garaud] A certain category?
-[judge] Gentlemen, please!

How amusing, Kiejman.
What are we talking about?

It's true,
not everybody has access to power,

but I do stand with the people.

Does the president make a personal visit

when a brave police officer is k*lled
by a lawless carjacker?

Stop, or this proceeding
will be suspended or adjourned!

[Kiejman] We must know
who we're dealing with.

Ladies and gentlemen, you should know
who you're dealing with in Mr. Garaud.

A leading self-defense proponent,

this attorney defines himself as a
defender of the true French, and I quote,

"Of the good wife and the simple bakers
that do battle with Arab populations."

That's enough!

This hearing is adjourned.

We're not here to watch
a black-robe c*ck.

[people murmuring]

Excuse me. Got a light?

Thanks.

Why all the theatrics?

Don't be offended, please. This can happen
with attorneys of their stature.

Yeah, I'm not talking about that.

Why weren't there handcuffs
on the men who k*lled my brother?

I thought defendants were supposed to be
confined throughout the process.

I agree, Sarah. It's incomprehensible.

This is the first time
I've ever seen that.

They're getting special favor. Is that it?

You're right. Allowing them to circulate
freely unfairly influences the jury.

It's the judge's call.
Nothing we can do about it.

Off to a great start.

Let's not get discouraged now
after all you've been through.

Going in. You ready?

No, I'll be in, in a minute.

[bell rings]

[Rampazzo] My client is the only one who
acknowledged that he struck a few blows.

But we cannot ignore the circumstances
and the failings in the chain of command.

Ladies and gentlemen, take a look.

This is a young man of 25
who has proven his courage.

The record shows he came forward
just days after the event

and of his own accord.

Can we really call what he did "courage"

when he brutally beat
an unarmed man to death?

I recognize the facts.

Your Honor,
I've carried this for three years.

I am not a monster.

My fiancée and I… [clears throat]

…we're having a baby.

Soon I'll be a dad.

I am not a monster.

I didn't want him to die.

But I'm not the only one responsible.

That is consistent with the expert opinion
regarding Mr. Garcia.

I quote…

"While the subject has no incapacities,

he does suffer severe distress
due to his difficulty

in admitting his direct responsibility
in what occurred that evening."

My client, Jean Schmitt, 57 years old,

was formally trained
at a top police academy.

His record over years of service
is nothing short of exemplary.

He started as a beat cop then worked
his way up to the motorcycle squad.

He has strong moral values,

and he's the type of man who is
undyingly patriotic as well as honorable.

Mr. Schmitt's police work is, I would say,
among the finest there can be.

His professionalism and discipline
have been praised by all of his superiors,

who when it came time to rank him,
awarded him a score of 19.8 out of 20.

It's hard to score any better.

That's true.

There is no 20 out of 20.
No one's perfect. Right?

Mr. Schmitt is a beloved
and respected leader,

a good family man,
and I repeat, a brave patriot.

This good sergeant's exemplary record
even earned him a Medal of Honor

from the police. Very rare.

And may I remind you,

he served on General de Gaulle's
personal security detail for a while.

And, perhaps you are not aware of this,
Mr. Kiejman,

he was an officer in the motorcycle escort
of none other than President Mitterrand.

Now I submit to you

that men of Sergeant Schmitt's caliber
are rare and must be defended.

We must take into consideration
their courage,

their sense of duty and honor,
and, I repeat, the determination

and all the self-sacrifice
with which they do their work.

They are the backbone of this country.

They are the cement that binds the nation.

They work tirelessly for you
without complaint,

and they deserve our undying respect
and gratitude.

NOVEMBER 28, 1986

Hello, young man.

I don't want you to think
this was an easy decision.

I've thought about it a lot.

And, most importantly,
I feel it deep inside.

I can't explain what it is.

You're an exceptional young man.

Forgive me for asking you.

I don't mean to suggest
you're not being sincere,

but what will your family say about this?

My mother's a believer. She'll get it.

And I feel it's important to pray
in words I understand,

to worship in a language I speak.

And most of all,
it's the religion of my own country.

I'm not in France by accident.

[judge] Proceed, Mr. Giorgi.

[Giorgi] Right. I was talking about
how we support each other.

We help each other face
the day-to-day realities of the job.

Sergeant Schmitt is a bit
like a father to the squad.

Or rather, he's more like a big brother.
I don't want to offend.

As a leader, he's always straightforward,
and he's well respected.

When he gives an order,
he's thought about it.

He's not wishy-washy. He's confident.

Because, you see,

the picking up garbage
after demonstrations

where we got punched in the head
is not my highest goal.

The police, what we do--

What we do, especially in the motor units,

is like a calling.

It's not for the fainthearted.

Every day,
the violence we encounter, the danger

at the hands of perpetrators…

So when you're lucky enough
to have a sergeant with good instincts,

that's invaluable.

The more so

when your superiors are
more comfortable pushing papers at a desk.

I owe-- I owe a lot to Schmitt.
That's the truth.

So to accuse the sergeant
of a crime he didn't commit

sends the wrong message to the police.

Well, you know,

to the policemen on the street.

You're not supposed to do that.

The court thanks you, Mr. Giorgi.

You may return to your seat.

So now the third k*ller gives testimony
for the others?

This is a nightmare.

-I understand your frustration.
-I didn't expect to see that guy.

And the fact that he testified to cover
his friend's a*s is just too much.

You need to stay calm.

Our challenge is
to convict the two we hold.

The ones who waltzed in here as free men?

-They spent all day singing their praises.
-Come on. This isn't the time for this.

We waited three years
to watch a police lovefest?

I'm sick to my stomach.

We knew this would be grueling,
but this is just the beginning.

We still have a lot of cards to play.

We'll argue the case
and present expert testimony.

That will provide indisputable evidence.

Our chances are good, Sarah.

We might soon get convictions
in a police k*lling.

Do you realize what that means?

Now, go home. Go get some rest.

We've only just begun.

[Ben Amar] You can't sleep, huh?

[baby fusses]

You're a night owl, right? Same as Dad.

There.

-[baby cooing]
-[babbling]

[Ben Amar] We won't go as far as to pop
champagne to toast the transplant,

-but tea will do.
-[all exclaiming]

DECEMBER 2, 1986

-Cheers!
-Cheers!

-[laughing]
-[Sarah] Cheers!

It's good you're giving him a kidney
and not a liver.

-[all laughing]
-She got you.

Good point.

-Ow!
-Oh, and thank you to my donor, Ben Amar.

-You're so compatible.
-[Ben Amar] Yes, indeed.

-Oh, he's right!
-Thanks to my compatible donor.

-Thanks.
-[Malik] I'm not gonna lie.

As stingy as you are,
I never expected you to give me anything.

-[all laughing]
-[Ben Amar] Oh, it's not free.

-[Mohamed] No, no. Come on.
-[Malik] I didn't think so.

-[laughing]
-[Mohamed] It truly is a great blessing.

-[Sarah] He'll be sending you an invoice.
-Hey, please don't cry, Mom.

[chattering, laughing]

Don't be sad.
I'm not gonna let you cry in front of me.

No more dialysis. No more hospital.
This is good news.

It's a celebration.

[in Arabic] Thank God.

[Mohamed, in English] All these jokes,
but you'll be the one in stitches.

-[Fatna] Eat! Before it gets cold.
-No, no, no, no. Wait. No, no, no.

-I bought Swiss chocolates.
-Why?

-I got that.
-[Malik] No!

-You gotta be kidding. Look at this.
-No.

-[Sarah] You all have them.
-No, Sarah. You have one.

-[Mohamed] "1939. Generations."
-[Malik] Sarah, try one.

-Yeah, but no alcohol?
-No alcohol, Mom.

-[Sarah] Good. I'll have one.
-Enjoy.

[Malik] Here. Sarah.

-Take it.
-Looks good.

-[chuckles]
-[Mohamed] Try it. What? Go ahead.

-[chuckling]
-[Fatna] Thank you.

-What is it?
-[Sarah] It's not good.

-What are you talking about?
-It's strange. I don't like it.

Take some flatbread. Here. Pass it around.

-It's like caviar served up to swine.
-[Fatna] Try this instead.

[Sarah] You're the swine!

I want to ululate.

-No, no, no. They'll call the cops on us.
-[Malik] Do it, Mom.

-[Fatna] Not the native tribe returning.
-Mom, do it. Screw the neighbors.

-Please. No, please. [groans]
-[ululating]

[Mohamed] Last time we did that
was for Independence.

-[Sarah] Again. She's still got it.
-[Mohamed] No.

-[laughing]
-[Mohamed] Mom.

[Sarah] Well done. [laughs]

You're not talking.

Nothing to say?

And what should I say?
There's nothing to say.

Well, maybe you have some questions or…

Mmm.

You just make like it's nothing.

It is nothing.

You could at least ask me
how the trial is going.

We've been waiting three years for this.

I prefer to ignore the trial.

It won't bring my son back to life.

We can't bring back Malik,
but we could get some justice.

You know how I feel about
that kind of justice.

For me, the only justice is from God.

[in Arabic] But he who does
of righteous deeds while he is a believer,

he will neither fear injustice
nor deprivation.

[in English] You just keep repeating that
over and over.

I mean, every time I come over,
you make dinner.

We never seem to talk.

It's like I'm eating with a ghost.

Yes, I know.

I have shadows all around me.

So, what? Am I a shadow?

Do I exist, Ma?

I've always been in the shadow.

The boys cast a shadow,
all your sons, all my brothers.

Don't you get tired of ignoring me?

I'm doing my best, Ma.

Life has continued for the rest of us,
and I'm right here. I'm not dead.

Please don't be angry.

I know you're here.

You know, at first,
I didn't much like you with short hair.

I thought it was awful.

But it looks nice.

It looks nice on you, my dear.

You have such courage.

You're the bravest of all my children.

COURT HOUSE

[people chanting]
Justice for Malik! Justice for Malik!

[chanting continues]

TRIBUTE TO MY BROTHER MOMO
k*lled BY THE POLICE IN 1985

Sarah Oussekine?

Do you have a minute to talk?

What is it you want?

I'll keep it short.

I'm Commissioner Duruisseau.

I want to express to you how sorry I feel
about what happened to your brother.

Does that change anything,
the way you feel?

It doesn't, but I wish it did.

What happened was tragic,

but I wanted to tell you that I don't
approve the methods employed by my men.

They were overly aggressive that night,
and that's indefensible.

And I also know
some of the officers had prior issues.

There have already been incidents…
with young beurs…

Is that it?

Do you feel better?

Got a clean conscience now?

On their own, the injuries can't be pegged
as the only cause of death.

His renal insufficiency
had been almost total for 12 months.

He required dialysis three times a week.

And his last treatment
was December 2, 1986.

And so he missed at least one treatment.

Do you know what date
he was to come in for dialysis?

It was the 6th. Not the 2nd.

Malik Oussekine never missed
a single treatment.

Do I need to remind you why he missed
that December 6th appointment?

[judge] The court thanks you
for your expert opinion.

Your Honor, I would now like to call
to the stand Dr. Monique Lecomte,

the medical examiner.

Thank you.

[clears throat]

Your testimony, Dr. Lecomte.

The victim suffered from severe
kidney dysfunction as previously stated.

In fact, both his kidneys were
practically destroyed,

which means he was in danger
from a pathological standpoint.

He also had a fractured nose
as well as several bruises in--

Excuse me. If it please the court,
for the record, may I just point out

that the autopsy included
only black-and-white photos.

Nowadays, black-and-white photos
at an autopsy is most unusual.

Is there a reason for this?

The choice of film is not what I do.

As I was saying, these lesions
cannot be considered life-threatening.

A combination of factors combined

to upset the balance
of the subject's fragile health condition.

[Kiejman] Excuse me. May I?

[clears throat] Dr. Lecomte,

what are these factors?

You've expressed the opinion,
in good conscience,

that the injuries you observed
were not life-threatening.

Please walk us through the other causes

that led to the death
of this 22-year-old man.

Well, you have to take into account
the whole context.

That is to say, he was running full-out,

and that physical effort put a strain
on the young man's fragile system.

And then there's the emotional shock
to his system, the stress, the fear.

Any one of these factors alone
could have occasioned

a disturbance of cardiac function
and could have been fatal.

Are you saying that his death was
possibly caused by fear?

Uh…

Well, yes.

It's possible.

Scared to death?

But nobody ever
really gets scared to death.

If I chase after you with this baton…

and I brandish it like this,
and I try to look threatening,

and then say, "April Fools,"
what do you say to that?

Would it k*ll you?

It's more complicated than that.

The bruises were a coincidence.
That's your explanation?

[Lecomte] No, that's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying that the as*ault
in general had a certain role

in the demise of the victim.

As I explained,
it was a combination of multiple factors.

But a broken bone or two
is not a cause of death.

So according to your expert analysis,

the only responsible party in his death

is Malik.

Dr. Lecomte,
would you please clarify your opinion?

Did the injuries he sustained
lead directly to his death or not?

Dr. Lecomte, I repeat.

Between the injuries that he sustained
and the death of Malik Oussekine,

did you establish a link?

[stammers] Yes.

[people murmuring]

[judge]
You have the court's thanks, Dr. Lecomte.

[fly unzips]

[faucet on]

[door opens]

I have heard such incredible lies
since my brother died.

But fragile is right up there.
My brother was not at all fragile.

He was a very strong person.

Nobody was sturdier.

He was capable of doing something great…

becoming someone great.

I'm disgusted.

This country,

that what it means?

That talk of equality and freedom?

Anytime it matters,
just forget about all that?

We're not asking to be loved.

Your love is not important.

We only ask that you treat us as equals,
that's all.

And all we hear is
"liberty, equality, fraternity."

What does that mean for us?

Don't look at me like that.

Lower your eyes when you see me.

You're the ones who beat him to death.

So don't you look me in the eye.

Can you possibly tell me
what he did to deserve that?

To get beaten to a pulp?
Nobody deserves to be treated that way.

What he endured is so very wrong.

The opposite of the credos written
on these walls.

It puts a stain
on what this country is about.

And you are double-crossing us.

I put my trust in you.

Their culpability is obvious to all.

So, Your Honor, please,
defend honor and justice.

Give a little faith to our people.

My brother deserves justice
from his government.

We are French too.

And Malik did everything he could
to fit in.

More is impossible.

He did his best.

[judge] Thank you for your testimony.

[Ben Amar] If you only knew our story,
ladies and gentlemen…

[sighs] How'd we ever get here?

We don't belong in this courtroom today.

Because we've always done the right thing.

Our parents turned the page,

taught us to move on.

And now it's our turn.

We forgot the past.

Before my brother died,

our joyous amnesia was total.

Turn the page.

Those bad years were finished.

To imagine our brother
getting torn away like that, it's awful.

It changed my whole--
my whole idea of life.

Today, destiny has brought us
to this room.

And I know there's a reason.

It's no accident.

'Cause if it is,

then it's too absurd.

To the accused sitting there,
I have something to say.

If blood runs through your veins,
then you're a man.

That's what my father taught me.

These men forgot something.

That my brother,
Malik, he was a man as well.

Not an Arab. Not some camel jockey.

He was becoming a man,
and his death is a broken promise.

A dream cut in half.

They didn't k*ll an Arab.
They k*lled a man that night.

They committed a crime.

That can't be silenced.

[inhales]

I was the eldest.

So I sort of replaced our father
for Malik.

So I tried to…

to support him,

guide the way.

To me, the most important thing was
to give him a chance to make it.

I believed in the meritocracy.

I tell him all the time,
"With hard work, it's doable."

Just because you have the wrong religion,
the wrong name, doesn't matter really.

No.

Money doesn't matter either.

I didn't want for him
to have any problems.

I wanted him to dream big
and to-- to know he could have everything.

To know it.

I told him, "You have to have ambitions,
strength and aplomb."

Mmm.

And it worked, I suppose.

Most of all…

he was a brave person.

He was really confident.

My brother had lots of self-assurance,

and I was very proud
that he acquired that,

that I encouraged him.

And that is so painful for me.

Because it's my fault.

Because without realizing it,
I removed him from reality.

I thought pushing him would be beneficial.

I was trying to protect him.

And now I'm, uh--

Now he's dead, and I'm responsible.
In a way I am.

Because I made him believe
that this country was a safe place.

That we could go far,
that this is our home.

And in theory, if you're home,
you-- you know you're not in any danger.

And nothing can happen.

You're protected.

[in Arabic] My Son.

You must be cold here, Son.

You must be so cold under this earth.

[line ringing]

[line clicks]

[clerk, in English] Hello, Air France.
How can I help you today?

Hello, uh, yes, I'd like to book a flight
Wednesday from Paris

to Toronto please.

One moment please.

We have a flight departing
Charles de Gaulle airport at 2:40 p.m.,

arriving at Toronto Pearson
International Airport

at 4:30 p.m., local time.

Does that work for you?

That's perfect.

And the return?

Just the one way please. Thank you.

LIBERTY EQUALITY FRATERNITY

[attorney] Now, Mr. Garcia, what
instructions were you given that night?

All we were told was that
there were incidents.

Students who'd recently vandalized
the area.

They said things were hot.

That we should get the demonstrators
to disperse

in a proactive way.

We are aware that the purpose
of the motorcycle unit is

to serve as a kind of deterrent,

and your presence,
with your motorcycles and riot gear,

would signal the protestors
that it was time to disperse.

Please allow me to make it clear

that my client,
as well as most of his colleagues,

had practically never witnessed
an orderly demonstration.

Well, they're still obliged
to follow the rules.

These men aren't bloodhounds
let loose to follow their prey.

[Rampazzo] That's precisely my point.

If the rules haven't been
established beforehand, what's the result?

Mr. Garcia…

although you have expressed regret
about what happened,

since you admitted to striking,
and I quote,

"two or three blows to the chest
before leaving the lobby,"

I see here in your deposition
you speak of efficiency.

Do you believe you were efficient?

I feel I did what was expected of me.

On the night of the incident, were you
specifically ordered to use your baton?

I was.

In self defense
or to chase down and bludgeon a man?

We all used them the same way
against the rioters.

Here's my question, Mr. Garcia.

How could you tell a rioter

from someone walking back
from a concert late at night?

Sir, if you see someone running,
suspicion is aroused.

Innocent people don't usually run away
in the street.

He might be dangerous.
He could sh**t you, knife you.

Mr. Garcia, did you feel threatened?

[spectator coughs]

[inhales]

[Kiejman] Your Honor, may I?

I'd like to check something,
if you don't mind.

Would you hand the defendant his
riot helmet and his hood and the baton

which are on the evidence table, please?

Would you please
put on the hood and the helmet?

Now take the baton and face the jurors
so that everyone can have a good look.

Wearing this equipment
and dealing with a harmless young man,

could one truly feel
he's being threatened?

[baton clatters]

Thank you. That's it.

My client, Jean Schmitt,
never struck a blow.

Let me remind you all,
never entered that lobby.

And as a defendant,
he does not belong here.

He was in no condition to act.

He is a victim in this case.

Sergeant Schmitt was struck in the chest
with a cobblestone,

and he was disoriented.

He fell off his motorcycle.

When his fellow officers arrived,
his condition was awful.

Mr. Schmitt, tell me about the moment
you were hit by this cobblestone.

I can't remember anything at all about it.

This big thing hit me, and I was in shock.
I was rattled.

Shaken up.

It hit me smack on the chest,
and I fell on my back arms out.

I struggled to my feet.
I thought I was a goner.

I leaned up against a car, and--

Well, I saw my fellow officers
in front of the lobby.

Curtain dropped. I blacked out.

Here it is. The cobblestone that hit you.

Just to give you an idea of how hard
my client was struck,

how the partial amnesia he endured
was brought on.

Ladies and gentlemen,
three pounds, 15 ounces.

That's the weight of this object.

One of Jean Schmitt's fellow officers
picked it up.

But in fact, that cobblestone
hasn't been admitted as evidence.

That's odd, Mr. Garaud.

It could have just as easily been
picked up from a construction site.

Like this cobblestone

-which I picked up myself this morning.
-[people gasp, whisper]

And which I intend to return
to the building owner, naturally.

But whether it was this cobblestone
or another,

the fact my client was hit hard
in the chest remains uncontested.

That is confirmed
by the medical certificate

that granted him 8% temporary disability.

Schmitt was indeed dazed and unsteady,

as he stated,
and as his fellow officers confirmed.

Amazing how this cobblestone
fell out of the sky.

And I submit to the court,
it's a stone-cold falsehood.

We have ascertained there were
no cobblestones on rue Racine.

There was construction site, but it it was
all the way up rue Monsieur-le-Prince,

and it was cordoned off
by a police contingent.

It's puzzling, the defendant's assertion,

claiming Mr. Schmitt was injured
and therefore never set foot in the lobby

and could not possibly
have beaten Malik Oussekine.

Perhaps at long last,
you'll explain how it happened.

Your weapon was retrieved
inside the building.

Mr. Schmitt?

-Could you repeat the question?
-It's a simple question.

How do you explain
that your g*n was found inside

when you claim
that you never entered the lobby?

Well, as I said, I don't remember.

[attorney] You did, however, state
during the internal review of this matter

that your weapon was lost in the shuffle
in the vestibule,

which today under oath,
you categorically deny.

Ah, they raked me over the coals
for two days. I--

Those IGS guys can make you sign
whatever they want.

Then could you please tell us
which version is true and which is not?

And are you insinuating
that IGS hearings are dishonest?

[sighs]

Well, they put psychological pressure
on us at times, yes.

Answer yes or no. Were you or were you not
aware you had lost your weapon?

I never went inside, as I remember.
I remained outside the building.

Well, my fellow officers were there,

and I realized
that I no longer had my g*n.

We searched the street, sidewalk, and--

and finally, my, uh--
I-It was Giorgi who found it in the lobby.

He had seen an individual go inside,
and it was in his pocket.

-Great. Your memory's come back.
-[Garaud] My client's not at fault.

Don't try to intimidate him.

So to repeat:
He remained outside the building.

That's all I have to say.

[door opens]

[footsteps approaching]

[judge] Go ahead, Mr. Bayzelon.

[exhales]

I had been to the movies that night
with a friend of mine.

And I was coming up the street
toward my house.

At that time, I lived on the third floor
of 20 rue Monsieur-le-Prince.

I wasn't aware
of what was happening really.

It seemed calm.

Some motorcycles came roaring up.

People started running away,
and I got scared.

I began to run as well.

Those last few feet, I mean…

I punched my code in quickly,

and I closed the door behind me
as soon as I was in the building.

At that point, I--
Behind me, through the window…

I saw Malik's face.

He was frightened.

His eyes were bulging.

I opened the door,
and very quickly, I let him inside.

When I was about to close it behind him,

just when I thought
we were both out of harm's way…

Maybe I took a…

a moment too long.

Could be that second was
what made all the…

I was slower than I should have been.

One of the officers jammed his baton
in the doorway right then,

to stop it closing.

And I tried to hold it closed
with all my might,

but I'm not the Hulk.

I was useless.

I'm just not strong.

And they started right in on him.

They began to-- to hit him
in the head with their batons.

[grunts]

[Malik] No! No!

[grunting]

No! Please! No! Please!

[Bayzelon] I stood there, paralyzed.

I remember every moment.

Malik was completely passive.

If he did anything,
he tried to protect his head.

He was yelling. He kept saying…

Let me go! I didn't do anything! [groans]

"Let me go! I didn't do anything!"

Malik slid down along the wall
and collapsed on the ground.

They beat him brutally.

-[grunts]
-[baton clatters]

The hit him over and over again
with terrifying force.

Then the police officers went outside.

There was a g*n on the ground.
I picked it up.

I barely had time to pick it up,

and two police officers came back
into the building.

I gave it to them, and they started
beating me with the p*stol

in the head, the face and the gut.

After that, they led me outside.

Malik was still in the lobby,

no longer moving.

If we are to believe
the defense's arguments,

Malik Oussekine was a man
in poor condition

who took chances
and came upon some policemen

who were already on edge with a problem.

They want to put Malik on trial
for getting beaten to death.

Remember these police officers
went down a street

they had no reason to go down
in the first place.

And where no superior officer gave them
any explicit order to go.

They arbitrarily chased that young man,

and nothing in the record suggests

he had committed any hostile act at all
with the police.

Where they had pursued him
inside a private residence,

forced their way into the lobby,

where they have no justification at all
to pursue him.

These are the facts.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
you have a responsibility here.

If you don't punish them,
you have made this crime trivial.

Which would be the ultimate insult
to Malik.

We mustn't allow the youth of this country
to think our society is unjust.

This decision is a path to reconciliation

with our youth
and faith in our institutions.

We must reconcile citizens with the police

by returning a verdict
that sets an example today.

A verdict that says nobody,
and that means nobody at all,

is ever above the law.

And one that for the Oussekine family,

might relieve a measure of their pain.

Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are not
passing judgment here on the police

but only on two men who happen to have
a career with the police.

To some,
anyone with power is bound to abuse it

and to continue abusing it
until circumstance shows him the limit.

In an arson case, one must be cognizant
of how delicate the burned skeleton is,

but one must never ignore
the striking of a match.

And the blows the police officers struck
is that match.

Without these blows, I submit to you,

the fragile health of Malik Oussekine
cannot have brought on his demise.

In an atmosphere of civil w*r,

tossed into the front lines
with no specific instruction,

what could these two policemen
have done differently?

Their only mistake was reporting for duty.

Ladies and gentlemen, seriously…

if you convict those
who give you protection,

they won't protect you anymore.

[Sarah] You're the ones they protect.

Not us.

Thank you.

[sniffling]

All rise.

[door opens]

[footsteps approach]

THE OUSSEKINE CASE

[judge] You may be seated.

Court is now in session.

Defendants, please rise.

Upon deliberation,

this court and this jury find
your actions culpable

and find you guilty of manslaughter
as*ault without intent to k*ll

with aggravating circumstances

in that you committed these acts
as members of the police

in circumstances that were not justified,

and you did so while on duty.

[sighs]

Accordingly,

the court sentences Mr. Schmitt
to a prison term of five years

and hereby suspends that sentence.

The court sentences Mr. Garcia
to three years in prison

and hereby suspends that sentence,

having taken into account
mitigating circumstances.

The court further orders
that Mr. Garcia's conviction

shall not be recorded
on his criminal record.

[people murmuring]

[judge] This case is adjourned.

-Thanks.
-You handled yourself very well.

[indistinct]

Well done.

["Song to the Siren" playing]

♪ On the floating, ship less oceans ♪

♪ I did all my best to smile ♪

♪ Till your singing eyes and fingers ♪

♪ Drew me loving to your isle ♪

[chattering]

♪ And you sang ♪

♪ "Sail to me ♪

♪ Sail to me
Let me enfold you" ♪

♪ Here I am
Here I am ♪

♪ Waiting to hold you ♪

[journalists clamoring]

[journalist]
What does this verdict mean for you?

It means that when you wear a cop uniform,

you can k*ll whoever you want
and be forgiven

[camera shutters click]

♪ Did I dream you dreamed about me? ♪

-But I'm thinking of my mother.
-[song continues]

[Sarah] Now I go home and I tell her,
"That's it.

The guys who m*rder*d Malik are free men."

[journalist 2] The verdict handed down
by the Criminal Court of Paris

could set a precedent in other cases

where police officers are
involved in incidents

while assigned to law and order details.

[chanting] No justice, no peace!
No justice, no peace!

No justice, no peace!
No justice, no peace!

-We demand justice!
-[chanting continues]

♪ Touch me not
Come back tomorrow ♪

No justice, no peace!

In defending the Oussekines,

there was a symbol I was defending.

The preservation of our democracy.

Every day, a democratic system
must renounce violence.

The Oussekine family
never pursued vengeance.

Their intention was never
to put the police on trial.

The sentences handed down today
are sentences of principle.

-[speaking Arabic]
-Thank you, brothers. Thanks.

-Thank you.
-[murmuring in Arabic]

♪ I'm as troubled as the tide ♪

♪ Should I stand amid the breakers? ♪

♪ Should I lie with death my bride? ♪

♪ Hear me sing ♪

♪ "Swim to me…" ♪

[song fades out]

DECEMBER 4, 1986

[in English] Classy, huh?

[speaking Arabic]

[in English] My boy, such a handsome boy.

Thanks, Mom.

Where are you going?

Uh, I have to go, Mom. I'm in a hurry.

Always rushing. Take a breath.

I'm coming back to see you this weekend.

You always say that.
These fries. Who will eat them now, hmm?

I made them special for you.

You, probably.

They're no good without company.

[chuckles]

Okay.

You know, I won't be around forever, Son.

Mom, please.

[song resumes]

[chuckles]

♪ Now my foolish boat is leaning ♪

I'm taking one.

Mmm. Good.

♪ Broken lovelorn on your rocks ♪

♪ For you sang ♪

♪ "Touch me not ♪

♪ Touch me not
Come back tomorrow" ♪

♪ Oh, my heart
Oh, my heart ♪

♪ Shies from the sorrow ♪

♪ I'm as puzzled as a newborn child ♪

♪ I'm as troubled as the tide ♪

♪ Should I stand amid the breakers? ♪

♪ Should I lie with death my bride? ♪

♪ Hear me sing ♪

♪ "Swim to me ♪

♪ Come to me
Let me enfold you" ♪

♪ Here I am
Here I am ♪

♪ Waiting to hold you ♪

[song ends]