BBC
Friday, November 24, 2006

A French football fan has been shot dead by a plain-clothed police officer after a European football match.
The officer reportedly fired tear gas, then live ammunition in an effort to disperse a fighting crowd near Paris' Parc des Princes football stadium.

The group of 150 Paris Saint Germain supporters were surrounding a fan of the Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv, who had beaten PSG 4-2 in the Uefa Cup.

An investigation has been launched into the shooting, police said.

Paris Saint Germain fans have a reputation for violent incidents, with the club disciplined over their behaviour several times in the past.

Cornered

The skirmish broke out by the Parc des Princes in the aftermath of PSG's defeat.

The police officer, who has not been identified, threw tear gas to break up a group of Paris fans surrounding the Israeli.

The officer was then chased towards a McDonald's restaurant nearby, holding the crowd at bay with his firearm before firing at least two shots, reports said.

Police union official Luc Poignant told the AFP news agency that the officer "had no choice but to defend himself and protect another person".

There was an atmosphere of high tension among Paris fans immediately after the game, which continued a poor run of form for the team.

AFP quoted witnesses describing a climate of "extreme confusion" in the streets.

Police reinforcements were sent to the area in an effort to calm the violence in the moments after the Paris fan was shot.