The Crown Prosecution Service has discontinued charges against a 20-year-old man who was accused of assaulting a female police officer in Birmingham city centre, after video evidence that went viral online contradicted the police account.
Incident on Broad Street
Cody Harper, 20, had been charged with assaulting the officer following an incident on Broad Street on Sunday, June 21, at around 1.30am. The arrest footage, widely shared on social media, appeared to show Harper being attacked by a group of men before a female police officer intervened.
In the video, the officer is seen pushing Harper against a wall after he was knocked to the ground by one of the men. Harper reacts by swinging his arm, which appeared to strike the officer in the head. West Midlands Police initially stated they had reviewed the incident and had no concerns about the officer's actions, describing them as "reasonable and proportionate."
CPS review and decision
However, after the footage was reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service, it was determined that the evidence did not support the police's assertion that an assault had occurred. A CPS spokeswoman said: "Following a careful review of all the evidence, including video footage of the incident, we concluded there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the suspect for assaulting a police officer. We have therefore stopped proceedings and written to both the suspect and the complainant confirming this."
The spokeswoman added: "We recognise assaults committed against emergency workers are abhorrent crimes, both against the victim and against society as a whole."
Impact and public reaction
The case had been scheduled for hearing at Birmingham magistrates' court on July 23. The decision to drop the charges comes after public calls for the release of the arrest footage, which highlighted discrepancies between the police account and the video evidence. The incident has sparked debate about police conduct and the use of force during arrests.
