Policeman Who Killed Soccer Fan is Held

French prosecutors yesterday opened an investigation into the shooting of a football fan by a police officer during an outbreak of soccer hooliganism that has shocked Paris.

Last night the plainclothes police officer, Antoine Granomort, was in custody after shooting dead a 24-year-old fan and wounding another, apparently with the same bullet, during an attack by Paris Saint-Germain fans on a supporter of an Israeli club, Hapoel Tel Aviv, after Thursday night's Uefa Cup match.

The PSG fans shouted anti-semitic and racial epithets, and Granomort, a black officer, said he was trying to protect himself and a Hapoel fan described by officials as a French Jew.

Paris prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin, who said it's likely Granomort acted in self-defence, opened the judicial inquiry. Marin wants Granomort to testify as a legally represented witness - a status in French law between a witness and a suspect.

Racism is common in Paris's stadiums and yesterday hardline French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy announced the fast-tracking of new legislation to tackle racist or xenophobic groups of fans. He wants hooligans banned from matches and has championed anti-terrorism legislation that will boost video surveillance at sports grounds.

Sarkozy yesterday met France federation head Frederic Thiriez, PSG president Alain Cayzac, Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour and fan groups on how to tackle PSG's history of racially based violence. Sarkozy said only official fan groups would be authorised to sell tickets for PSG matches under the new measures. He also ordered police and the fan groups to hold meetings before every PSG match.

'We want no more racists in the stadium, no more Nazi salutes, no more monkey calls when a player of colour touches the ball,' Sarkozy said. 'There will be sections half-empty - that is not important. It's better to be alone than to be in such bad company.'

Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal proposed shutting down the stands where the gangs congregate. 'The club must accept its responsibility and shut down the stands where these unacceptable bursts of violence, racism and anti-semitism occur,' she said.

Police said the two men who were shot were members of PSG's far-right fanbase. About 200 members of the group, the Boulogne Boys, met outside PSG's Parc des Princes stadium on Friday night to issue a call for calm.

The PSG fans had gone on the rampage on Thursday night after watching their team sink to an ignominious 4-2 defeat. Jewish fans were targeted by groups of youths yelling anti-semitic slogans and performing Nazi salutes. Yanniv Hazout, 23, was chased and separated from his friends. Granomort was guarding police vehicles and stepped in, ordering Hazout to take cover behind him as he sought to face down the mob. Perhaps uncertain as to whether Granomort was a policeman because he was in civilian clothing, the youths attacked. Granomort used tear gas but was overpowered. He fired a shot and in the ensuing confusion Granomort and Hazout were able to escape to a McDonald's, where staff quickly locked the doors behind them. PSG fans then laid siege to the building, smashing windows and continuing to chant racist slogans before police backup eventually arrived on the scene.

The bullet that killed PSG fan Julien Quemener had, according to police, first punctured the lung of another PSG fan, Mounir Bouchaer, now out of danger and recovering in hospital, before hitting Quemener's heart.

'The police officer was punched and kicked and knocked to the floor before reacting with his gun,' said spokesman Jean-Claude Marin. 'I think we can safely believe he acted in self-defence, although of course we will fully investigate the circumstances.'

PSG fans have been known for violence for years. In recent times, though, the violence has escalated. Last season fans fought among themselves and a motorway service station was ransacked when PSG fans on their way back from a match staged a massive fight featuring baseball bats and chains. This season the violence has returned to its racist roots. Earlier this month PSG fans were arrested following a game in Le Mans after a Senegal-born local was beaten up, one of a dozen or so similar incidents reported to police since September.