A Frenchman who filmed himself hurling a giant snowball at an unsuspecting bystander could face three years in jail after the victim filed a lawsuit.
The Parisian in his 20s, who has not been named, was seen lobbing a large ball of ice from a chairlift, hitting a table of people at a restaurant in Alpe d’Huez.
The TikTok video, with the caption ‘when you are considered a public danger’, was watched millions of times, sparking outcry online.
The young hooligan could be heard calling down ‘bon appétit’ and laughing as the ball of ice struck a 61-year-old grandfather, who was eating with his granddaughter.
The victim, who has also not been named, reportedly suffered minor injuries and had his glasses broken when the snowball hit him in the face on February 28.
Fabrice Boutet, managing director of the Société d’Aménagement Touristique d’Alpe d’Huez (Sata), which operates the ski lift, told local press that they filed a lawsuit ‘straight away’.
‘We met the victim, a very nice man who has a flat [nearby] and who was spending his holiday with his family in the resort’, he told Le Dauphiné Libéré.
The creators insisted ‘we were absolutely not aiming for the man’s head’
The skier shouted ‘bon appétit’ as they launched the ball of ice down towards the restaurant
File photo: A general view of skiers at Alpe D’Huez, a ski resort in Southeastern France
Mr Boutet said he had advised the victim to file a lawsuit, ‘which he did, because I think this type of behaviour must be punished’.
Officials said they have confirmed the identity of the alleged assailant, who took to TikTok to insist that, ‘we were absolutely not aiming for the man’s head’.
Instead, they said, they were aiming to hit the table.
The video had also been overlaid with the text: ‘This has to be the craziest thing you could possibly do at a ski resort. And don’t worry, nobody was injured.’
But the grandfather was ‘slightly injured’ and ‘very psychologically shocked’, according to La Voix du Nord.
The Bourg-d’Oisans gendarmes have now opened an investigation for ‘intentional violence with a weapon’, the outlet reports.
The content creator could now face three years in prison if charged, tried and found guilty, The Times reported.
The trend of content creators pursuing increasingly dangerous stunts for clout online is nothing new.
But this week, police arrested two boys, aged 14 and 16, after a huge seat was thrown from the third floor of Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, also caught on camera.
In footage posted to social media on Saturday, a young man could be seen hurling a blue pouffe from the top floor before running away.
The person filming turned to show the chair landing just inches away from members of the public, with a caption reading: ‘No way bro almost killed someone.’
The pouffe narrowly missed one oblivious shopper and caused several others to whip their heads around in shock.
The content creator posted a video of himself throwing the snowball, which he said was only supposed to hit the table
The victim was reportedly injured and had his glasses broken by the strike
A spokesman for Newham MPS revealed yesterday that a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy had been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and remain in custody.
‘This was a serious incident and we would encourage anyone who may have further information to contact the police,’ the spokesperson said.
The clip went viral on TikTok, with many people rushing to the comment section.
One wrote: ‘Westfield London looks like a war zone most days from what I see on line. Gang of yobs just running riot. Would never in a million years go there with my kids.’
Another chimed in, posting: ‘They knew that would cause serious harm or death, and it didn’t even bother them. How can we live amongst such animals?’
You can contact the police referencing CAD 5623/04Mar. Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit http://crimestoppers-uk.org.
