A Birmingham man received a 27-month sentence for threatening violence in a viral video featuring a deactivated AK-47 during summer unrest.
Khan claimed a friend posted the video, which blew up on far-right social media, racking up 1.4 million views on one account alone. The court found a T-shirt he wore in the video hanging on his washing line when police arrested him just two days after some serious unrest in Bordesley Green.
The video showed Khan, 49, loading the rifle and making threats. Prosecutors said it was shared widely, with one account calling him a serious threat to protesters. The police recovered the deactivated rifle, which was basically just for show and couldn’t fire real bullets.
When cops arrested him, Khan downplayed it, saying he just made a “little video.” He later pleaded guilty to making threats and had a history of previous convictions, including racially aggravated offenses. His lawyer mentioned he had health issues, but the judge pointed out that his actions were reckless, especially during such a tense time. Khan will have to serve 40% of his sentence before he can be considered for release.