Shocking footage has captured the moment a thug fired a firework at a bus in Birmingham city centre using a makeshift launcher. The incident occurred on Friday, November 1, near Aston University, as part of a night of disorder that saw groups launching fireworks at people and police.
West Midlands Police said three people were arrested: an 18-year-old man on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, violent disorder and fireworks offences; a 19-year-old man for assaulting an officer; and a 17-year-old boy on suspicion of violent disorder, fireworks offences and assaulting an officer. The 19-year-old was dealt with by community resolution.
Police also seized illegal fireworks from a van in the Handsworth area after spotting a man selling them with an expired storage licence. Officers are investigating whether this is linked to the disorder. The van and fireworks were seized.
Social media users compared the scenes to Star Wars, with one user saying the man was dressed like Darth Vader. The footage has been viewed nearly 200,000 times. Police have introduced a dispersal order and are using drones to identify suspects.
