78-year-old dies in police custody at Paris's 20th arrondissement station; IGPN opens investigation
A 78-year-old man arrested on domestic violence charges was found dead in his cell at the 20th arrondissement commissariat. The police watchdog is now investigating the second fatality at the station this year.
Circumstances of the death
A 78-year-old man died in police custody at the commissariat of the 20th arrondissement in Paris on Wednesday, 1 July 2026. He had been arrested the previous morning, around 7 a.m., on suspicion of domestic violence. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed the death on Thursday and announced it had tasked the Inspectorate General of the National Police (IGPN) to investigate. Officers reported finding the man unconscious in his cell at about 10:40 a.m. after earlier checks had noted nothing abnormal. Medical efforts to revive him, including use of a defibrillator, were unsuccessful. A doctor arrived at 11:00 to declare the death.
Emergency care was administered using a defibrillator. The required doctor arrived at 11 a.m. and pronounced the death.
Custody timeline
The man was placed in custody on Tuesday 30 June at approximately 7 a.m. A midday medical examination concluded his health was compatible with detention. He also saw a psychiatrist who found no particular issues. His prostate medication was dispensed twice during the day. After the custody period was extended, a second medical check was carried out early Tuesday evening. On Wednesday morning, officers distributing breakfast between 7 and 8 a.m. and a further check at 9 a.m. noted nothing out of the ordinary. The temperature inside the station at the time of the incident was 26°C.
- Man arrested for domestic violence, placed in custody at 20th arrondissement station
- Midday medical visit finds him fit for custody; psychiatrist finds no issues
- Second medical check in early evening after custody extended
- Police distribute breakfast; no anomaly observed
- 09:00 check reports no problem
- Officers find him unconscious in cell; emergency care with defibrillator fails
- Doctor arrives, pronounces death
Domestic abuse allegations
The investigation that led to his arrest began in January 2025, when the man's wife told social services she had endured over fifty years of abuse from her husband. The Paris prosecutor said the man also held firearms at home. During subsequent hearings, the couple's children alleged having suffered sexual abuse by their father as well as psychological mistreatment.
It emerged from the hearings that the couple's children also reported having suffered sexual abuse by their father, in addition to psychological mistreatment.
Second death at the station
This is the second death in police custody at the 20th arrondissement commissariat in recent months. In January 2026, El Hacen Diarra, a 35-year-old Mauritanian national, died at the same facility. His family claims he was involved in a violent altercation with officers before his death. The association Paris Aide aux Victimes has been asked to inform and support the family of the latest victim.
Investigation
An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of the man's death. The IGPN is conducting a parallel inquiry into the circumstances of the fatality. The Paris prosecutor's office has not released further details about the medical condition or any potential contributing factors.
