Drunk French policeman kills fellow officer

NANTES, France, Oct 18 (AFP) – A French policeman who was four times over the alcohol limit shot a colleague in the head at a police station in western France at the weekend, the public prosecutor said.

The 46-year-old officer, who admitted to having shot his colleague, tested positive for alcohol, at 180 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood at the time. That is almost four times the French legal limit for driving. The victim, aged 34, was married with a seven-year-old child.

The incident occurred inside the police station in the western city of Nantes, where six officers had stayed on for drinks and dinner after they came off duty. The shooting took place after midnight.

The officer has been placed under investigation for manslaughter.

The four other policemen present were also found to be over the alcohol limit and have been suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry.