A protest held outside a police station after allegations a police officer "forcibly removed" the turban of a Sikh man in custody.
West Midlands Police denied it happened or that the turban was stamped on and said images shared on social media were misleading. The man has been charged with obstructing a police officer and driving offences.
The National Sikh Police Association UK said it was liaising with the force. The man was arrested and taken to Perry Barr police station, where hundreds of protesters gathered outside. West Midlands Police confirmed the man was asked to remove his patka - a thin head covering worn by Sikhs - to be searched.
They said an officer removed it in a private room, where it fell on the floor. They went on to say that it was immediately retrieved and that at no point it was stamped on.
In a statement, they said that it was concerned about a video compilation online that includes a still suggesting a man had his turban forcibly removed and stamped on in the custody suite. A spokesperson for the force said: "This is not the case.
"The author has used an image from elsewhere giving an entirely misleading version of the events. The CCTV featured in this video is not connected to this incident."
The force said all CCTV would be examined to establish if there was any inappropriate conduct and it had voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct. They also confirmed a complaint had been received "and therefore we cannot go into further details while these inquiries are progressing".
The man, who was released on bail, is due at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on November 25, charged with obstructing a police officer and two counts of driving a vehicle when the VRM (vehicle registration) fails to conform with regulations. The National Sikh Police Association UK said it would not comment on social media posts about the incident, but was talking to the force and understood the sentiments, and felt the hurt such incidents create.
