Support for French jeweller who shot robber dead
A 67-year-old French jeweller has received an outpouring of support on the internet after being detained on suspicion of murder for shooting dead a teenager fleeing his shop with stolen gems.
A 67-year-old French jeweller has received an outpouring of support on the internet after being detained on suspicion of murder for shooting dead a teenager fleeing his shop with stolen gems.
A Facebook page set up in support of Stephan Turk had attracted more than 55,000 likes by yesterday afternoon, a day after the jeweller was placed in custody on suspicion of murder.
Turk, the owner of "La Turquoise" jewellers in the centre of the Riviera city of Nice, was held up at gunpoint by two men wearing motorcycle helmets as he opened his small jewellery shop on Wednesday morning.
Closed circuit video images show he was punched and kicked before being forced to open his safe. One of the robbers then filled a bag with jewels and the pair made off on the same scooter, Nice prosecutor Eric Bedos said.
As they fled, Turk shot at them three times with a small gun, hitting the 18-year-old sitting on the back of the scooter at least once in the back, Bedos added.
The teenager's dead body was found in an adjacent street while the driver of the scooter got away with the rifle used in the robbery. The dead youth, identified only by his first name, Anthony, had a string of convictions for theft, assault and driving offences.
