Georges Abdel Malek, a 36-year-old French-Moroccan, died on Tuesday, July 8, at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, after being violently struck by a driver in Corbeil-Essonnes, in the Paris region. The incident took place overnight between July 4 and 5, at the market square in the Tarterêts neighborhood, where Abdel was spending time with relatives. According to Le Parisien, a confrontation broke out between Abdel's group and a man using cocaine in a parked car. The individual, identified as Walid B., a homeless man, was reportedly told to leave the area. Tensions escalated when he allegedly threatened the group with a box cutter before being chased away. He later returned, this time behind the wheel of his car. According to preliminary findings, he tried to run over several people. Abdel, who was reportedly trying to calm things down, was violently hit, dragged for several meters, and thrown to the ground. He died from a head injury three days later. Married and the father of a young daughter, Abdel was well known and respected in his neighborhood. Born in France to Moroccan parents, he had previously worked as an ambulance driver before moving into the security field. «Abdel was the calm, composed guy who hated conflict. That he left us like this is tragic», a close friend told Le Parisien. The driver has been charged with murder and placed in pre-trial detention. While he denies the accusations, videos filmed by witnesses may confirm the intentional nature of the act. Another person, who was involved in confronting the suspect before the tragedy, has also been charged. A funeral prayer will be held at the mosque in Corbeil-Essonnes before his body is repatriated to Morocco. A fundraiser has also been launched to support his family.
