Sharif Cousins once protested, “Once a criminal, always a criminal,” criticizing West Midlands Police after being shot during an armed confrontation in Frankley in July 2017. Despite claiming he had turned his life around, Cousins’ actions have since reinforced his criminal record.
Now 49, Cousins faces the possibility of another lengthy prison sentence after being convicted for a reckless shooting at a family home in Walsall earlier this year. This crime adds to a long history of offending, including an eight-year sentence for attempting to shoot a police officer in 2004.
Hailing from Handsworth—the heartland of the Burger Bar Boys gang—Cousins was involved in a dramatic police chase in Winson Green. After crashing into a tree, officers confronted him; one backed away upon seeing a handgun, while another approached, pepper-sprayed him with no effect, and was threatened at gunpoint. The firearm jammed, preventing the officer from being harmed, and Cousins fled but was arrested and jailed for endangering life with a firearm. The targeted officer received bravery awards but left the force a year later.
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Years later, in 2017, Cousins was shot by police during a raid in Frankley amid a surge of gang violence in south Birmingham. Armed officers acting on intelligence confronted Cousins, who did not comply with orders to raise his hands. Believed to be reaching for a weapon, an officer fired once, hitting Cousins in the chest. He survived severe injuries after weeks in a coma. The Independent Office for Police Conduct later cleared the officers, confirming they acted within policy and had no prior knowledge of Cousins’ identity.
Following the shooting, Cousins publicly declared his innocence and remorse for his past, portraying himself as a changed man who had founded a charity to steer youth away from gangs. Nevertheless, the charity closed after three years due to funding issues. He distanced himself from associate Jameal Scarlett, arrested at the same raid after a shotgun cartridge was found near him.
However, in 2019, court proceedings revealed Cousins’ involvement in efforts to obtain a shotgun, conspiring with Scarlett and others linked to the “61” gang—a group named after a Birmingham bus route. The gang was embroiled in conflicts with rival gangs, including the Frankley Killers and 247365 gang. Cousins was sentenced in 2021 to nearly four years in prison for conspiracy to acquire a shotgun without a certificate.
Most recently, in May 2023, Cousins was convicted in connection with a terrifying shooting on Princethorpe Road, Willenhall. Two bullets were fired at a family home; one hit a driveway car, the other shattered a window and penetrated the kitchen wall. Thankfully, the occupants were unharmed. Cousins and an accomplice fled but were tracked via ANPR cameras and arrested. Text messages reviewed by police showed premeditated coordination involving a driver and car acquisition.
Set to be sentenced in February, Cousins’ latest conviction underlines his retreat from any attempts at reform and highlights the persistent challenges faced by Birmingham’s police in curbing violent gang activity.