Britain: The cop who led the investigation into the Bartons Arms shootings described the black attackers as cowards – and said it was a miracle that nobody was killed

Detective Inspector Andy Bannister told how the ruthless black gang lured police officers into an ambush by setting fire to the pub during the summer 2011 riots. The black group – linked to the Birmingham-based Johnson Crew and West Bromwich-based Raiders gangs – had kept members of the public at bay as they set their trap on August 9, 2011. At least four firearms were used in the subsequent attacks and 11 shots were fired. Bullets sailed inches over the heads of unarmed police officers on the ground, while others were aimed at the force helicopter hovering above. Some of the black men were arrested at gunpoint a short time after the attack at Park Circus, in Aston, by armed police. Five black men and a teenager have been convicted of being involved in the terrifying scenes, following a lengthy trial at Birmingham Crown Court.