Police assault probe

Sep 10 2007 By Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail

AN INTERNAL police investigation has been launched into claims that a young black Birmingham driver was dragged out of his car by armed police and repeatedly punched.

Engineer Mugabe Reid has made an official complaint to West Midlands Police after he was stopped on the motorway at Spaghetti Junction on August 14.

The 25-year-old, of Pennyfield Croft, Stechford, said he was driving his mum's Audi T2 car with friends around 6pm when an unmarked police car pulled them over.

"Armed police dragged me by the neck out of the car and hit me five or six times. I kept telling them I wasn't armed and hadn't done anything," alleged Mr Reid.

"They held guns at my two passengers too, a young woman called Tracey and my friend Simeon Baxter, a 29-year-old black man.

"They didn't find any weapons because we didn't have any and hadn't done anything. It was terrifying and when they hit me, I said 'you won't get away with this'. I was strip searched and put in a cell overnight for doing nothing."

Mugabe was released the next day and although he was not charged with any firearm offences has now been charged with criminal damage to his cell.

He was also told to pay £120 to get the car released from the police car pound.

A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said Mugabe Reid was arrested after receiving a call about a firearm being seen.

"A complaint about the matter has been received," the spokeswoman added.

"This will be thoroughly and professionally investigated."