Police accused of traumatic search of black man in city
Questions over force policy after scuffle in Colmore Row
SIX police officers have been accused by a human rights charity of conducting an “invasive and traumatic stop and search” against a black man in Birmingham city centre.
The man was detained and searched by two officers on suspicion of possession of cannabis after a scuffle in Colmore Row on Monday.
According to eyewitnesses, the man had handed in a stub of a marijuana joint to officers on request but the man appeared agitated by their presence.
Police chiefs said the man had refused to co-operate and so a decision was made to arrest him. He was later de-arrested.
During the incident, which was filmed by a passer-by, the man was repeatedly told to “calm down” by officers when he asked if he was being arrested.
Two more officers arrived and all four attempted to arrest and handcuff him, despite protests from onlookers.
At one point, the man asked “What for?” in reference to why he was being arrested. During the altercation, the man cried out to police officers he was not attempting to resist arrest.
“I’m relaxing,” he said. At least five times the man asked the police officers to stop using force while he was restrained by the officers.
A further two officers arrived and moved the man into a police van.
The footage of the arrest was condemned by activists
Emmanuelle Andrews, policy and campaigns manager at Liberty, a human rights organisation, said: “We all want to be safe in our communities, and to live without fear of harassment and discrimination.
“But, time and time again, footage from the public, reports from independent policing institutions, community groups and human rights organisations have shown the risks, abuses and harms of stop and search.
“As this footage shows, police persistently subject people of colour to invasive and traumatic stop and search, without proper grounds, and based only on racist and classist stereotypes.
“Stop and search is not supported by evidence. Rather than reducing
crime, it exacerbates the very problems it is seeking to solve by worsening injustice, alienation and exclusion. The government must end its plans to ramp up stop and search powers – and instead invest in community led interventions which have fairness, social justice and human rights at their heart.”
The incident comes as the government lifted restrictions on police stop and search powers in areas where they anticipate violent crime.
Stop and search tactics are controversial because of concerns they disproportionately affect black and minority ethnic communities. Campaigners have previously warned relaxing the restrictions could further entrench discrimination.
Last year, police and crime commissioner Simon Foster said he was concerned the use of stop and search was eroding trust in his force.
He revealed the success rate of searches was “only about 25-30 per cent” and questioned whether these results were worth the reputational damage done to West Midlands police in minority communities.
A spokesperson for West Midlands police said: “Officers on an operation targeting anti-social behaviour in Birmingham spotted a man who they believed was smoking cannabis.
“The man was approached by officers, but he refused to co-operate and so a decision was made to arrest him.
“He refused to comply and was placed in handcuffs and into the back of a police car. Once in the car, the man became calmer and gave his details.
“He was de-arrested after a number of police checks were carried out. A small amount of cannabis was recovered, and the man was referred to a drug charity for support.”