Dramatic footage released Monday shows officers shouting “police” before forcing them into the illegal rave near the city’s jewelery district early Sunday morning.
The scurry is audible from a crowd as they become aware that their party has abruptly ended. According to police, police were pelted with bottles and one officer sustained a minor injury.
Thermal imaging of a police drone showed revealers trying to escape from the roof.
England is in its third national exclusion, with people instructed to stay at home and connections between households.
The illegal party had a bar, neon signs and a dance room, and officers even ran into a recording studio and gym in the building, police said.
About 70 people have been fined £ 200 ($ 278), according to West Midlands police.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd called the attacks on officers “unacceptable” and praised the repression.
“Our officers are working long and hard to protect the public and reduce the spread of this deadly virus by breaking up these gatherings, often in very difficult circumstances,” he said.
“While there is a lot to hope for in terms of the introduction of coronavirus vaccines, people need to remember that we are still in the air and that the virus is still a real threat to communities across the West Midlands.”
In a separate incident Saturday night, police also discovered that a garage workshop in Dudley Port had been converted into a bar called ‘The Covid Arms’.