Head of Public Order and Traffic Control in Paris Alain Gibelin has been removed from office via a decree by French President Emmanuel Macron. His replacement was announced in the Journal Officiel de la République Française.
It is noted that Gibelin was sent "to his former division" in the position of chief commissioner.
Motives for such a decision have not been specified. However, as the Le Monde newspaper reported, the resignation of the police officer may be related to the investigation into the French president's ex-security aid Alexander Benalla.
A scandal involving Benalla emerged in July after a video capturing Macron's aide in riot police gear during a May Day demonstration was published online, where he first tackled a young woman and then lashed out at a young man. After the video appeared, Benalla insisted that he was helping the police dealing with aggressive protesters.