On Thursday, 46 men were charged by the police for attacking law enforcement outside of Villa Park in Birmingham. According to West Midlands police, five officers, two police dogs, and two police horses were harmed when supporters of Legia Warsaw threw objects at them during the Europa Conference League game.
The police have officially announced the charges against 43 men for a public order violation, two for assaulting police officers, and one for carrying a knife.
The announcement stated: “The individuals facing charges range in age from 21 to 63, with approximately 40 believed to be from Poland. A few are suspected to be residents of the UK.”
All but one of the men will be appearing in court today. One of the men has been released on bail and will have a court date at a later time. A specific court has been established at Birmingham magistrates and will commence hearing the cases this morning.
Authorities are currently reviewing surveillance footage and body camera recordings in order to identify additional individuals involved in an extremely disturbing and aggressive public disturbance.
Five police officers from the West Midlands, West Mercia, and Derbyshire forces sustained minor injuries in the midst of the chaos.
The criminal investigation, led by Det Supt Jim Munro, is ongoing and we will be analyzing footage and interviewing witnesses in the upcoming days. Charging a large number of individuals in such a short time after a major disturbance required a significant effort from our dedicated staff who have been working tirelessly.
“We have received several expressions of gratitude from the club and fans who were in attendance on Thursday evening and witnessed the police operation. We are extremely appreciative of their support.”
According to authorities, supporters of the Polish team were barred from entering the stadium due to their actions of throwing projectiles at police before the game began.
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Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands, has urged European football officials to take decisive measures and expressed gratitude towards the courageous officers while condemning the highly unpleasant scenes.
In an earlier comment, Ch Insp Tim Robinson expressed, “The football match should have been a fantastic event, bringing enjoyment to fans from both teams. Sadly, there were disgraceful incidents where away fans recklessly launched flares and other objects at our police officers.”
He stated that the “excessive aggression” forced the police to take action in order to prevent away fans from entering the stadium. He emphasized that the safety of all individuals is their top concern and they had no alternative course of action.
Source: theguardian.com
