Police investigating viral video of black man 'being beaten up' by officers
Footage shared thousands of times online prompts widespread calls for action
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West Midlands Police have launched an investigation into a video shared thousands of times online that appears to show unidentified officers repeatedly striking a man.
The clip purportedly shows a group of uniformed policemen and one policewoman surrounding the black man.
One officer appears to repeatedly hit the man and use pepper spray. The man is seen cowering and raising his hands to protect himself.
A crutch can also be seen on the floor.
The eight-second clip ends only when one of the men in police uniform closes the door on the person filming.
While it is unclear where and when the footage was filmed, it caused fury online as people demanded action against the perceived police brutality. Many suggested the supposed victim was Muslim.
One user said: “Police brutality of British police against a Muslim man, seemingly in his own home. If anyone can provide more info about this, please get in touch. #MuslimLivesMatter.”
And while other forces had suspected it may be the product of an elaborate hoax, a statement from West Midlands Police appeared to confirm the officers in the video worked for their force – saying footage “from body cameras worn by the officers” was being reviewed.
The statement, posted on the force’s official Twitter account, said: “West Midlands Police is aware of video footage that has been posted to social media, that shows a man being restrained by officers.
“The video footage, together with the footage from body cameras worn by the officers is currently being reviewed.”
It added that the force’s professional standards department would consider whether the matter “needs to be referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct”.
West Midlands Police has yet to respond to further requests for comment and clarification.
Online speculation had previously linked the clip to the suspension of six officers from Humberside Police, but the force categorically denied any involvement.
“The officers are not Humberside officers and not connected whatsoever with any other suspensions we currently have ongoing,” said Lee Freeman, the force’s chief constable.
The Independent understands that, having studied the footage, officers and officials at both the Metropolitan Police and Humberside Police had suspected the clip was staged.
Officers had struggled to match the black tops, hi-vis jackets and stab vests worn in the video to a UK police force.
Sources also drew attention to the unusual apparent lack of official insignia on the uniforms.
The video appears to have been first posted on Twitter at 8.38pm on Saturday by a user named @Mohamma96638981, who has not responded to requests for further comment.
The post has been retweeted more than 27,000 times at the time of writing, while other tweets containing the video have also been shared thousands of times.
The clip was also posted at 22:01 on a Facebook page against police brutality named “Justice or Else”, where it has been viewed over 61,000 times.