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A police force has apologised after sending 30 officers, dogs and a helicopter to falsely arrest a London rock band.
Staffordshire Police held four members of The Thirst at gunpoint, along with their manager and a friend.
The band from Brixton, who have been a support act to the Rolling Stones and the Sex Pistols, were swooped on after a CCTV operator accused them of having a handgun in their car.
All six were detained overnight, had their fingerprints and DNA taken, surrendered their clothes for scientific examination and had their hands swabbed for firearms residue.
The men also say the only white member of the party was treated differently from the black members by being given a meal during their 15 hours in detention, while the rest were offered only water.
After examining the CCTV footage, it emerged that the band were not holding a weapon, but were unloading their instruments and equipment and using jump leads to start a vehicle.
A senior officer has now apologised to the six men and is reviewing the episode.
In a letter to the men, Assistant Chief Constable Jane Sawyers wrote: "We clearly got this wrong and I totally accept the sighting of a handgun was a mistake."
The arrests were made on 21 November after the band played at the Oak pub in Burntwood. Bass player Kwame Cofi-Agyeman said: "It was like something out of a film.
"I had a gun pressed against my neck. You hear of innocent people being shot, like Menezes or the guy with the chair leg [Harry Stanley]. I didn't want to be another statistic, another police blunder."
The 24-year-old's brother Mensah was also arrested, along with Mark Lenihan and Marcus Harris.
Their manager Kingsley Slater and friend Jonny Morton-Clark were also held.
Mr Cofi-Agyeman said that while they were in the cells he was offered just a glass of water while the white member of the party, Mr Morton-Clark, was given a meal.
Mr Morton-Clark said: "I do think they treated me differently from the others. They put all the black guys in a van and they put me in a car."
Mr Cofi-Agyeman said: "I'm not playing the race card, but I couldn't help thinking race had something to do with it."
The band members said they may report the case the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Reader views (6)
I think people are being totally unreasonable here - again it's damned if you, damned if you don't. For a start, according to the story the CCTV operator thought they had seen a handgun, do people not have the right to make genuine mistakes? Secondly, as a handgun was believed to be there, should the police have not acted? If the argument is no, then you condone them not acting, what might have the story been then? If you think they should have acted, what makes you as a layman more qualified to decide numbers of officers and tactics used than the police themselves? This is another classic anti police story.
- H Morgan, London, 30/11/2009 20:50
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every cloud has a silver linning, having spent 25 years in rock'n'roll it has to be said,' any publicity is good
publicity.
the stones had to pee on a garage forecourt and untold other wouldbe's had to invent all and sundry to make front pages.
remember the sex pistols.
however with the ow street runners retaining their dna it's hard won publicity.
- Mike O'Brien, london.uk, 30/11/2009 18:53
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Are their DNA samples going to be deleted from the system? If so, when?
When the police make a mistake, things should be put back as they were before, and financial compensation paid for things which fundamentally cannot be reversed.
- Nigel, London, 30/11/2009 14:33
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Don't you just hate the british police?
We used to have the best coppers in the world, now they are worse than a third world outfit, you expect them to be corrupt/useless.
- Kerry, Purley, 30/11/2009 13:43
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Plod does it again. 30 officers plus dog plus helicopter. What a joke. And why does it take 15 hours to release them? I have seen these idiots with 30 cops and TWO armoured Landrovers first hand in Notting Hill kick down a door to be castigated by an old man who pointed out they even had the wrong address. Second time around? Needless to say they found nothing. CCTV..wonderful.
- Jon, london, 30/11/2009 12:38
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So more innocent people have been added to the DNA database.
I hope they sue the cops, the whole incident is an utter disgrace.
- P Staker, London., 30/11/2009 12:08
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