According to the police, Florian Menesplier fired his weapon as the young driver was about to run him over.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=28 June 2023 |date=27 June 2023 |first1=Caroline |first2=Julien |language=fr-FR |last1=Piquet |last2=Constant |title=Adolescent tué à Nanterre par un tir policier : " On veut la vérité et on la veut vite ", réagit le maire |trans-title=Teenager killed in Nanterre by police shooting: "We want the truth and we want it quickly", reacts the mayor |url=https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/nanterre-un-homme-tue-par-un-tir-de-la-police-apres-un-refus-dobtemperer-27-06-2023-NUHSC3W3X5GYDGWDXCA36APNUU.php |website=[[Le Parisien]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627223434/https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/nanterre-un-homme-tue-par-un-tir-de-la-police-apres-un-refus-dobtemperer-27-06-2023-NUHSC3W3X5GYDGWDXCA36APNUU.php |archive-date=27 June 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> This version, citing self-defense, was challenged after the publication of a video showing that the car was not in a position to harm the police officers and was not heading towards them.<ref name=":02"/><ref>{{cite web |access-date=29 June 2023 |date=28 June 2023 |first=Noémie |language=fr |last=Lair |title=Adolescent tué à Nanterre : ce que l'on sait de la vidéo qui met à mal la version des policiers |trans-title=Teenager killed in Nanterre: what we know about the video that undermines the version of the police |url=https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/adolescent-tue-a-nanterre-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-la-video-qui-met-a-mal-la-version-des-policiers-1888941 |website=[[France Inter]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628195002/https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/adolescent-tue-a-nanterre-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-la-video-qui-met-a-mal-la-version-des-policiers-1888941 |archive-date=28 June 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |access-date=28 June 2023 |date=8 September 2022 |language=fr |title=Mort après un refus d'obtempérer à Nice : une vidéo fragilise la version d'un syndicat de police |trans-title=Death after a refusal to comply in Nice: a video weakens the version of a police union |url=https://www.francelive.fr/article/france-live/mort-apres-un-refus-d-obtemperer-a-nice-une-video-fragilise-la-version-d-un-syndicat-de-police-7598612/ |first=Samuel |last=Grée |website=[[Francelive]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628090459/https://www.francelive.fr/article/france-live/mort-apres-un-refus-d-obtemperer-a-nice-une-video-fragilise-la-version-d-un-syndicat-de-police-7598612/ |archive-date=28 June 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> According to ''[[Le Monde]]'', "the 50-second sequence, which has gone viral on social media, has literally swept away the language elements initially disseminated by police sources and repeated by some media." The video shows that the two police officers were on the driver's side of the Mercedes. The car was moving off when the officer fired the shot at point-blank range.<ref name="auto"/>
