West Midlands Police have issued a statement after footage of an arrest in Birmingham city centre went viral online, prompting widespread debate over the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The video, which has been widely shared across social media, shows part of an altercation involving police officers on Broad Street during the early hours of 21 June. The clip has attracted millions of views and led to conflicting claims online about what happened before officers made the arrest.

In a statement, West Midlands Police said:

"We are aware of footage showing the arrest of a man after a disorder on Broad Street at 1.30am on 21 June. Officers found a group of men fighting. As the incident was dealt with, an officer was punched. One man was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer."

The force has not provided further details about the events leading up to the incident beyond confirming that officers had responded to reports of disorder involving a group of men. The case is now subject to legal proceedings.

Following the circulation of the footage and the public reaction it generated, the incident was reviewed by the force. After carrying out that review, police said they were satisfied that the officers involved had acted appropriately.

In a second statement, West Midlands Police said:

"The incident has been reviewed, and we have no concerns over the officer's actions and we are satisfied that they were reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances. We would ask that footage is not further shared to allow the legal process to take its course."

The footage has continued to divide opinion online, with some questioning why the arrested man was charged, while others argued that the full circumstances of the incident are not visible in the clip circulating on social media. One person commented:

"Why charge him? He was in shock and just reacted, calmed as soon as he saw it was an officer!"

Another wrote:

"Why is the guy who actually attacked him not being arrested( I don't think he meant to swing at the police officer."

A third added:

"How are you attacking the victim lool."

As the case remains before the courts, West Midlands Police have urged people not to continue sharing the footage while the legal process is ongoing. With only a short clip of the incident available publicly, the full circumstances surrounding what happened will ultimately be determined through that process.