Video: Moment Birmingham police dog deployed on teenager during arrest following a brawl

This is the moment a police dog was deployed on a "terrified" teenager - who was left lying on the ground with his underwear showing - during an arrest in Birmingham.

Officers from West Midlands Police were called to Hampton Street in Newtown on Tuesday following reports of a 17-person brawl. Footage from the scene shows a dog battling with a man who is lying on the ground, while the handler stands over him. The video lasts for around 40 seconds.

An onlooker who did not want to be named described the scene as "disgusting". They said: “The policeman just set the dog on this guy when there was no need for him to. It seemed to go on for ages.

“The dog pulled the man’s trousers down to expose him, and its teeth could have slipped away to take the man’s private parts. If the dog had its teeth in his legs or private parts it would have ripped him apart."

The man on the ground was “absolutely terrified” and “begging” for the police officer to stop the dog, the witness claimed. They said: “The guy was shouting, saying ‘ok ok ok’ - and it wasn’t ok. There was no need for it, he’s a young boy. That could have been anybody’s son."

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The witness said that it made her feel “absolutely sick” and that she couldn’t get it out of her mind. “I just keep seeing it,” she said. “It makes me feel disgusting and I don’t want to live in this horrible world.

“It makes me feel absolutely sick - there is no need for it. I’m not sure what the guy’s done but he doesn’t deserve it. If any kids had been walking past they’d have been scarred for life."

West Midlands Police - full statement

West Midlands Police said it was satisfied the dog was "deployed appropriately" A spokesperson said: "We were called to Hampton Street in Birmingham city centre at around 11.15am on Tuesday to reports that a group of 17 people were fighting.

"As officers arrived, one man was seen repeatedly kicking and punching at someone on the floor. A dog handler ordered the suspect to stand still before he ran. A police dog detained the man and tugged at his clothing until the dog's handler had safely detained the suspect.

"The 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of affray. He suffered a minor injury to his left thumb. The suspect was de-arrested once his details were taken and he will be interviewed on suspicion of violent disorder in due course."

Insp Leanne Chapman, from the force's dangerous dog unit, added: "Every month, our dogs are deployed to well over 1,000 incidents across the West Midlands. They and their handlers are trained to support their colleagues to protect the public, and know to use proportionate force to reduce the risk to others

'Having reviewed CCTV and bodyworn footage showing more of the incident, we are satisfied that the dog was deployed appropriately to detain a suspect and help bring a violent situation under control."