Watch shocking moment hooded man with ‘ROCKET LAUNCHER’ shoots fireworks at people in busy city centre
THIS is the shocking moment a hooded man with a homemade rocket launcher shot fireworks at people in a busy city centre.
The yob was seen wielding the bazooka in Birmingham on Bonfire Night.
He wore a “Darth Vader cape” and launched around 50 fireworks amid scenes of carnage in the Aston neighbourhood.
Footage shows revellers sprinting for cover as torrents of sparks erupted from the makeshift launcher.
The man appeared to wield the launcher indiscriminately, pointing it in all directions.
One local said: “Idiots. Where do you even get a firework rocket launcher. He’s even dressed like Darth Vader.”
Another Brummie said: “These firework wars are happening each year now.
“They try to outdo each other – someone is going to end up seriously hurt or dead.”
Posting on social media, a third local said: “Birmingham is the UK Gotham.”
Three teen males aged 17, 18, and 19 were arrested in Birmingham over the Bonfire Night chaos.
Another man was arrested on Halloween night on suspicion of selling fireworks with an expired storage licence from the back of his van.
West Midlands Police said: “We have made arrests and seized illegal fireworks after further disorder in Birmingham city centre.
“Groups launched fireworks in the street and from buildings, with some aiming towards police officers and police vehicles.
“Officers were stationed around Bagot Street and Staniforth Street and a dispersal order was introduced.
“We won’t tolerate such appalling behaviour which we know is frightening for people and puts them at risk of harm.
“We have an investigation team reviewing footage and we will seek to prosecute anyone involved.
“We’ll have another tough focused policing operation in place today, and over the coming days, to keep our communities safe.”
NIGHT OF CARNAGE
It came amid scenes of chaos across the UK with yobs hurling fireworks at riot cops in Edinburgh, Manchester and Glasgow.
One bizarre scene from Edinburgh showed a yob putting a firework in his mouth.
He uses his jaw to aim it at the sky while an onlooker is heard shouting: “Go on.”
But an enormous shower of sparks suddenly erupts into the man’s face.
The exploding firework flies from the man’s mouth into the ground – while onlookers scream.
His condition is currently unknown – and the local emergency services have been contacted for comment.
Firefighters took thousands of calls amid scenes of carnage in a string of UK cities last night.
A police chopper landed in an Edinburgh estate after yobs launched fireworks at motors and set wheelie bins ablaze.
And in Manchester, shocking footage showed louts making barricades from mattresses and pallets in clashes with police.
Youths in the city started an illegal bonfire with waste and a motorbike, torched a car and hurled fireworks at emergency services.
Three teen males, aged between 16 and 18, have been arrested on suspicion of causing violent disorder.
They remain in custody for questioning, with further arrests to follow.
In a social media post, one local said: “Looks like a full scale war zone down there.”
In Edinburgh, riot cops and the police chopper descended on a housing estate after yobs unleashed more Bonfire Night mayhem.
Officers with shields and batons faced down gangs in Niddrie who were launching fireworks at motors and setting wheelie bins ablaze.
Our footage from the scene showed riot cops chasing down dozens of youngsters.
There was also a tense stand-off where one person was bundled to the ground by officers who were blocking people from passing at a flashpoint spot.
Some innocent bystanders were also caught up in the mayhem as thugs launched bricks at police and set fire to more wheelie bins.
Youths gather around burning bins left to smoulder in the middle of the road as others film the chaotic scenes from their smartphones.
Cops wearing helmets form a line along the street before charging towards the group.
Dozens of yobs are then kettled by officers before they are herded away from the remains of the smoking bins.
Cops reversed back in their vans when yobs started throwing fireworks in their direction.
They then turned their vans round.
When the police left one member of the public was heard to shout: “They won’t throw them now – the police are gone.”
But their barrage continued and they then started throwing fireworks in the direction of members of the public.
Roads were first closed at around 6.45pm after fireworks were thrown in the direction of vehicles.
One pyro was seen flying onto Niddrie Mains Road and there was a flash before smoke was seen rising from the tarmac.
Moments later cops started diverting traffic away from the scene of the incident.
A police helicopter was shining its spotlight down onto the area.
Members of the public were advised to steer clear of the area where trouble erupted.
Fireworks could be seen and heard exploding in the air in the distance.
Elsewhere missiles were thrown at riot police gathered in the Gilmerton and Sighthill areas of Edinburgh.
MP for Edinburgh Ian Murray described the scenes as “disgraceful and unacceptable” amid further disorder in the Moredun and Gracemount areas of the city.
Gracemount Drive was closed off with cops diverting traffic away from the area.
A police helicopter moved over the area later into the evening with reports of tense scenes between riot police and gangs.
The Guy Fawkes disorder comes just days after Halloween fireworks mayhem in the same community.
At the weekend Chief Superintendent David Robertson said the police will leave “no stone unturned” to find those responsible for the firework-related violence in Niddrie and elsewhere on Halloween.
Groups of youths targeted police vehicles with fireworks and other projectiles amid numerous reports of anti-social behaviour last Thursday night.
One female officer was injured when the window of the vehicle she was inside was smashed by a brick and local buses were also pelted with projectiles, police said.
A 14-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in connection with alleged fireworks offences.