Police Force Under Scrutiny After Officer Advises Crowd to Discard Weapons at Mosque

[Social Media]

 

Staffordshire Police have come under fire after a police liaison officer was filmed advising a group of counter-protesters to discard weapons at a mosque. This incident, which occurred amidst violent anti-immigration protests, has led to a significant backlash and a subsequent review by the police force.

 

The controversial footage, live-streamed on TikTok, captures the liaison officer addressing a crowd of men outside the Darul Falah mosque in Hanley. The protests in the city center had turned violent, leading to this confrontation. In the video, the officer, identifiable by his blue police vest, informs the crowd that the "EDL lot have gone home" and urges them to dispose of any weapons. Using a loudspeaker, the officer says, "We will work with you guys for the best solution. The EDL lot I’ve been assured have left. If there are any weapons or anything like that, then what I would do is discard them at the mosque.

 

Don’t give anybody any reason to have any interaction with the police, so if there’s any weapons, get rid of them, we are not going to arrest anybody. You don’t want us to make arrests or start dispersing people. Is that alright?"

 

This footage, believed to have been recorded after the counter-protest, quickly spread on social media, sparking widespread concern and criticism. Staffordshire Police acknowledged that the video has significantly undermined public confidence, particularly regarding the officer's advice to the crowd. In response to the public outcry, the force has launched a thorough review to evaluate the footage and assess whether the officer's actions were appropriate.

 

A spokesperson for Staffordshire Police commented on the incident, stating, "We recognise that some footage shared on social media has gained traction and impacted on public confidence, particularly surrounding a protest liaison officer giving words of advice to a group in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday. We are actively reviewing this footage and all of the material available. We will address any lessons to be learned and assess whether the action taken was proportionate while we continue to reassure people in the local community."

 

The unrest in Stoke-on-Trent was part of a broader wave of disorder that has affected several cities following the tragic Southport killings, in which three girls lost their lives. The violence in Stoke escalated as groups clashed around the mosque, leading to the deployment of riot police in large numbers. These clashes resulted in injuries to three officers and ten arrests.

 

In the wake of the incident, Staffordshire Police have charged two individuals with offenses related to the disorder. Jarrod Hollinshead, aged 26, has been charged with using threatening or abusive words or behavior likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress. Lee Bodman, aged 52, faces charges of assault by beating of an emergency worker and breaching a criminal behavior order. Both individuals are scheduled to appear at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre later this month.

 

To address the broader issue of the disorder, Staffordshire Police have appointed a senior investigating officer to lead a post-incident investigation. While this investigation is ongoing, the force continues to review the actions captured in the widely shared video. The goal is to learn from the incident, address any shortcomings, and work towards restoring public trust in law enforcement.

 

This incident has highlighted the challenges faced by police forces in managing public order during highly charged and volatile situations. The actions of the liaison officer, intended to de-escalate the situation, have instead raised questions about the appropriate methods of maintaining peace and order. As the review progresses, Staffordshire Police aim to provide transparency and accountability, reinforcing their commitment to public safety and community relations.

 

Credit: Daily Telegraph  2024-08-07

 

 

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[impulse]

Hmmmmm.  I thought there were no Muslims involved.  It was just the far right.

[CanadaSam]

Let me try to wrap my head around this, a police officer was "wrong" for telling an armed group to discard their weapons?

 

Dear God, what else is he supposed to do, to maintain the peace?

[impulse]

42 minutes ago, CanadaSam said:

Let me try to wrap my head around this, a police officer was "wrong" for telling an armed group to discard their weapons?

 

Dear God, what else is he supposed to do, to maintain the peace?

 

I think that their sin was exposing that there was anyone involved other than the media's far right thugs.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

8 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

I think that their sin was exposing that there was anyone involved other than the media's far right thugs.

 

So now you admit the ‘far right’ thugs.

 

There’s progress!

[impulse]

5 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

14 minutes ago, impulse said:

I think that their sin was exposing that there was anyone involved other than the media's far right thugs.

So now you admit the ‘far right’ thugs.

There’s progress!

 

The media sure seems to think so.  Me, not so much.   Sure, there are thuggish outliers.  But mostly, it's people seeing their culture being destroyed, their girls being groomed, and their money (some of which used to subsidize keeping warm in the winter) going to support guests they didn't invite into the country.

 

Edited August 7 by impulse

[HK MacPhooey]

1 hour ago, CanadaSam said:

Let me try to wrap my head around this, a police officer was "wrong" for telling an armed group to discard their weapons?

 

Dear God, what else is he supposed to do, to maintain the peace?

No he was wrong for telling them to return the weapons inside the mosque instead of arresting them and ordering an inspection of the mosque - what it actually tells us is that the police know already that weapons are generally held in mosques probably nationwide and any government that has the best interests of it’s citizens at heart would send in the military to search all mosques for weapons and whatever else they might be concealing.

[cncltd1973]

Muslims won't stop being Muslims, their religion is flawed with violence, intolerance and oppression, so what can England do? it's heading for a civil war and the politicians aren't offering any solutions, very unpatriotic and naive of them.  my sympathies, Britons

[Bkk Brian]

1 hour ago, CanadaSam said:

Let me try to wrap my head around this, a police officer was "wrong" for telling an armed group to discard their weapons?

 

Dear God, what else is he supposed to do, to maintain the peace?

If this group were armed the police should have stopped, searched and arrested them, instead of asking them "Is this alright"

 

4 hours ago, Social Media said:

Don’t give anybody any reason to have any interaction with the police, so if there’s any weapons, get rid of them, we are not going to arrest anybody. You don’t want us to make arrests or start dispersing people. Is that alright?"

 

[john donson]

uk, land of stabbings

[maxcorrigan]

1 hour ago, cncltd1973 said:

Muslims won't stop being Muslims, their religion is flawed with violence, intolerance and oppression, so what can England do? it's heading for a civil war and the politicians aren't offering any solutions, very unpatriotic and naive of them.  my sympathies, Britons

"intolerance" not according to exPresident Obama, how he said that with a straightface i'll never know!

[klauskunkel]

Apparently there is now a new M-word one can't use anymore in public as an official: besides Mohammed (and its various spellings), Mosque.

I suggest to strike the letter "M" from the alphabet, along with "F" for good measure...to be on the safe side of all wokies.

[JonnyF]

No surprise. 

 

Police advising muslims how to avoid arrest for carrying dangerous weapons.

 

Makes a change from singing anti-Israel songs I suppose. 

[wombat]

6 hours ago, Social Media said:

 a police liaison officer was filmed advising a group of counter-protesters to discard weapons at a mosque.

my guess is he was a muslim

[wombat]

1 hour ago, maxcorrigan said:

"intolerance" not according to exPresident Obama, how he said that with a straightface i'll never know!

can someone explain the hipocracy please

[SAFETY FIRST]

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

So now you admit the ‘far right’ thugs.

 

There’s progress!

What triggered the 'far right' thugs? 

 

[Graham8888]

6 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

So now you admit the ‘far right’ thugs.

 

There’s progress!

Media’s far right thugs - wake up

he is telling them to hide the weapons at the mosque so they cant be arrested - two tier policing at its finest- can you imagine the outcry if an officer was telling the other protesters to drop their weapons off at the pub