Officer who 'forcibly removed a Sikh man's head covering' sparks police watchdog investigation
- Allegations that a West Midlands Police officer forcibly removed a Sikh man's head covering have caused an IOPC investigation
- The probe follows an incident at Perry Barr custody suite on Monday afternoon
- Both the force and the IOPC said the footage shared of the incident is inaccurate
- The Sikh man is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court this November
The police watchdog has launched an investigation after an officer was accused of forcibly removing the religious head covering of a Sikh man while he was in custody.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced the probe after a complaint was made against West Midlands Police.
The IOPC said the complaint claims officers' actions towards the Sikh man were 'racially motivated'.
On Wednesday the incident drew protesters from the Sikh community outside Perry Barr station and videos on social media show police officers (not the ones who were accused of the incident) being questioned about it
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It follows an incident at Perry Barr custody suite, just outside of Birmingham city centre, on Monday afternoon.
In a statement, West Midlands Police said a video compilation was published on social media which 'infers that one of the stills included shows a man having his turban forcibly removed and stamped on' while in custody.
Both the force and the IOPC have said the footage is inaccurate.
Expanding further, a statement from West Midlands Police said: 'The author has used an image from elsewhere giving an entirely misleading version of the events.
An officer spoke to protesting crowds outside Perry Barr station as they demanded answers about the alleged incident and the PC involved
'The CCTV featured in this video is not connected to this incident.
'We can confirm that a man in custody was asked to remove his patka to be searched.
'It was removed by an officer in a private room to search for anything that could be harmful to the man or our custody officers.
'The head covering fell to the floor at one point, but was immediately retrieved and at no point was it stamped on.'
It added all CCTV footage of the officer's interactions with the man is being examined further and that it understands the religious significance of head coverings in the Sikh faith.
IOPC regional director Derrick Campbell said: 'This incident has caused understandable unrest within the local community and I want to reassure everyone that this will be thoroughly and independently investigated.
'We are now in possession of all the CCTV footage from the custody suite, which I have viewed myself.
'Our investigation will look at the actions of police during the incident to determine the facts.
'What I can say with absolute certainty at this stage, in direct response to questions I have received from members of the local community, is that the head covering was not stamped on at any stage.
'A false video shared on social media has caused significant concern for many and I am appealing for calm while this is investigated.
'Rest assured we will be working hard to ensure the facts of what happened are brought to light and this matter is dealt with appropriately.'
Protests outside Perry Barr station on Wednesday drew in members of the Sikh community who demanded answers about the alleged incident and the officer
On Wednesday the incident drew protesters from the Sikh community outside Perry Barr station and videos on social media show police officers being questioned about it and the PC involved.
The man who says this happened to him can be seen asking an officer to watch the footage and saying 'If the CCTV doesn't bring a tear to your eye I'll be shocked.
'They stripped me naked (of my dignity).'
The National Sikh Police Association put a statement out on Twitter on Wednesday, saying: 'To our members and wider community, we are aware of the social media post in circulation about an incident which occurred in a West Midlands Police custody station.
Many of those gathered outside on Wednesday evening were concerned that the alleged incident was 'racially motivated'
'At this current time we can not make comment about its content.
'However we can reassure you that we are in contact with the West Midlands Police and have made senior officials aware.
'The matter has been referred and is now with the Professional Standards Department, it will be formally investigated.
'As members of the Sikh community, we understand the sentiments and feel the hurt such incidents create.
'We will continue to liaise with the Sikh community and thank those who reached out to bring this matter to our attention.'
According to The Independent, the man who experienced the alleged removal of his head covering was charged with obstructing a police officer and two counts of driving a vehicle where the vehicle registration failed to conform with regulations.
He is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court next month and has been released on bail.
