Man fleeing ID check by police drowns in Seine

Such checks are a hot topic in France, where some say their frequent use in poor neighborhoods amounts to police harassment. The government is drafting legislation that would require officers to provide those whose IDs are checked with a receipt, hoping to reduce the number of checks.

Police union representative Eric Guyon said Tuesday that three young men began to run when officers tried to check their IDs Monday night in Melun, 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Paris. Two were caught; the third jumped into the river.

An officer tried to help the 20-something man, but Guyon said the current was too strong. When his body was pulled out, he could not be revived.