Police officer left with broken ribs following ‘homophobic attack’ in Birmingham’s gay village
"An attack on a police officer is unacceptable whatever the circumstances."
Words: Alastair James; pictures: Wiki
A woman has been arrested following an alleged homophobic attack in Birmingham, which left a female police officer with broken ribs.
The incident took place on New Year’s Eve at around eight o’clock in the evening in the Hurst Street area.
A 31-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker as well as a hate-related public order offence concerning alleged homophobic abuse she directed at the officer.
“An attack on a police officer is unacceptable”
The woman has been released under investigation while enquiries continue, according to police. Meanwhile, the officer is said to still be recovering from her injuries.
On 31 December, West Midlands Police officers responded to reports of an altercation between a man and a woman.
A statement from the force sent to Attitude reads: “An attack on a police officer is unacceptable whatever the circumstances. Our staff work tirelessly to protect the public and help those in their time of need.”
Birmingham has seen a number of homophobic attacks in recent months. An attack took place in October where a man was hit with a glass bottle and attacked after walking home from a night out holding another man’s hand.
In December, West Midlands Police reported a man had been charged over the incident and is due to appear in court on 12 January.
The incident led some of the city’s leaders to issue a statement in support of the LGBTQ community and announcing that police patrols were being stepped up around Birmingham’s LGBTQ village and money invested in supporting victims of hate crime.
Full statement from PCC @SimonFoster4PCC, @MayorWestMids and @BrumLeader following recent homophobic attacks in the #Birmingham Gay Village.
Hate and violence directed at LGBTQ+ people won’t be tolerated in the city or the region. pic.twitter.com/Jls7vcPtiz
— WestMidsPCC (@WestMidsPCC) October 14, 2021
In October, Vice News reported a 210 percent rise in LGBTQ hate crime in the UK over the last six years.