A Turkish man detained in France last year allegedly died after police brutally manhandled him at a police station, CCTV footage of the incident shows. Merter Keskin, who died from an alleged heart rhythm disorder at a police station in northeastern France last January, appears to have been a victim of "ventral plating," which led to asphyxiation, according to the footage exclusively obtained by Anadolu Agency (AA).

The 35-year-old died sometime between Jan. 12-13 while in police custody at the police station in the commune of Selestat. Images from a surveillance camera in his cell showed he was handcuffed and tackled by police who used a technique known as "ventral plating," which has proven fatal in at least three cases.

Police have been accused of using the technique in the deaths of Cedric Chouviat, Adama Traore and Mohamed Gabsi. Chouviat's family had appealed to the interior minister in 2020 to prohibit police from using the technique while handling suspects. It is used to immobilize a suspect and involves pressing down and keeping a suspect's belly on the ground, head turned to the side and handcuffed at the back. Mohamed Gabsi, a 33-year-old father of three with an Arab background, was dragged along the ground by three police officers who arrested him for breaching the coronavirus lockdown in 2020. After his death, officers were accused of "intentional violence by a public official leading to manslaughter" and "nonassistance of a person in danger." Adama Traore, dubbed the "French George Floyd" in protests against police violence, died in 2016 at the age of 24 after fleeing officers who wanted to check his ID during a chase north of Paris. Police officers apparently jumped on him to handcuff the young man.

In the United States, police used the same technique on George Floyd, whose death sparked global protests.

In Keskin’s case, an officer is seen crushing him with his knee and is later joined by two other police officers who try to immobilize him. Police continued to overpower him flat on his stomach while he was handcuffed for more than three minutes. He was declared dead after emergency services intervened at 5 a.m. local time (3 a.m. GMT).

According to the medical files seen by AA, the medical examiner noted "a moderate asphyxiation syndrome," and the autopsy revealed cyanosis in his arms, head and neck, suggesting that the level of oxygen in his blood may have been low, resulting in an abnormally bluish coloring of the skin. The death certificate concludes that he suffered "cardio-respiratory arrest."

Keskin was arrested on Jan. 12 after trying to flee on charges of domestic violence. He complained of chest pain twice but was never taken to a hospital. He died hours later in his cell. Initial findings determined the cause of his death was "heart rhythm disorder." An investigation by the Strasbourg judicial police and the General Inspectorate of the National Police is underway to determine the cause of death.

According to a report by France's Liberation newspaper, one of the police officers present in the video told investigators that although he put his knee closer to Keskin's head, he did not press it and was simply doing it to prevent the man from escaping. After an initial autopsy report pointed out that Keskin was intoxicated with cocaine and this might have led to heart disorder, Keskin's family has sought a second autopsy. The family's lawyer Nabil Boudi, quoted by Liberation, said Keskin definitely died as a result of ventral plating.