French lawmaker Sébastien Delogu was taken into police custody in Marseille on Thursday following a confrontation with three police officers inside his residential building earlier in the week.
The prosecutor's office in Marseille confirmed that Delogu, a member of parliament representing the left-wing party La France Insoumise, presented himself at a local police station in the early afternoon for questioning before being placed under official detention.
Magistrates opened a flagrancy investigation into allegations of contempt of a person holding public authority. Delogu was questioned by officers at the Marseille police station on Thursday before being released from custody with a summons to appear in court on contempt charges in November.
Delogu represents the Mediterranean port city of Marseille in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament. He is a prominent figure in La France Insoumise, the main left-wing opposition movement founded by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, which holds dozens of seats in parliament and frequently clashes with French law enforcement policies.
Residential Building Confrontation
The investigation stems from a heated argument that occurred around 3:15 p.m. on Monday on the landing of the apartment building where the lawmaker resides in Marseille.
Three police officers had entered the building while searching for a suspect wanted in connection with a watch theft. Delogu confronted the officers and refused to grant them access to the building premises, stating that they had failed to properly disclose their identity.
Moments after the initial refusal, a sharp verbal argument erupted between the lawmaker and the three officers on the residential landing. Part of the exchange was captured on video footage.
Conflicting Accounts and Legal Complaints
Following the incident, both sides filed formal legal complaints against each other. The three police officers lodged official complaints alleging contempt, while Delogu filed his own complaint detailing physical and verbal abuse.
According to Delogu, the three officers aggressively jumped on him during the dispute and called him a good-for-nothing. He further stated that one of the officers told him that his mouth stank and delivered a physical blow to his chest.
The three police officers offered a contrasting account in official police reports, stating that the lawmaker physically blocked them from entering the building to pursue their suspect. The officers reported that Delogu hurled verbal insults at them, calling them a bunch of wasters and describing one officer as an asshole.
Under French law, police custody allows investigators to detain suspects for questioning during active criminal probes under the supervision of local public prosecutors. The offense of contempt of a public official carries judicial penalties in France when individuals are found to have insulted or hindered officers performing official duties.
