A motorcyclist suffered serious injuries because of a police officer in the suburbs of Paris. Following the accident, a small crowd of rioters took to the streets and beagn to wreak havoc in defiance of the restrictions and curfews.

The pre-dawn hours of Sunday saw violent riots in the Parisian suburb of Villeneuve-la-Garenne near the commune of Saint-Denis, known for its large immigrant population, after a police officer opened the door of his unmarked vehicle and struck – some eyewitnesses say deliberately – a motorcyclist, who was driving by at high speed.

The young motorcyclist, who  had no helmet, took a big fall and hit a pole after the crash. He suffered serious injuries, including an open fracture on his leg. Although some eyewitnesses claim that his leg was torn off, this has not been verified by the AFP news agency. The video shows the motorist howling in pain, while the officers are trying to treat his wounds.

The incident has been filmed and shared on social media, where many were furious that – while most of France is under lockdown and people are not supposed to leave their homes – anarchy rules in certain areas.

Citing the official description of events by police, an anti-racism NGO called SOS Racisme issued a statement saying the incident took place after a „chase,” as the man on the motorcycle refused to stop for the inspecting officers.

The accident has triggered massive street riots with troublemakers smashing and breaking things in complete ignorance and defiance of the restrictions and curfews. The enraged mob of rioters wreaked havoc causing considerable damage.