- Thursday, December 26, 2024
The police have suspended one of the officers involved and referred the actions to an independent police complaints watchdog
By: Shajil Kumar
A video showing a police officer kick and stamp on a man’s head during an arrest at Manchester airport sparked a protest outside a police station late on Wednesday.
Police suspended one of the officers involved and referred the actions to an independent police complaints watchdog after the video, filmed by an onlooker on Tuesday evening, was posted on social media platforms and attracted criticism.
It showed a chaotic scene in an airport car park, in which several officers armed with tasers restrained two suspects. The events preceding this scene were not included in the video.
One man was kicked and stamped upon by an officer as he lay face down on the floor. The second man also appeared to be struck in the head by an officer.
A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) statement said the video showed “an event that is truly shocking, and that people are rightly extremely concerned about. The use of such force in an arrest is an unusual occurrence and one that we understand creates alarm.”
It said police had responded to reports of an assault, and three officers were assaulted during their response. The officers, including one female officer whose nose was broken, required hospital treatment.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said he had seen the video and understood the public’s concern.
An officer was suspended on Thursday, having initially only been removed from operational duties. The Independent Office for Police Conduct confirmed it was investigating the incident.
The two men were arrested on suspicion of assault, assault of an emergency worker, affray, and obstructing police.
The incident sparked a protest outside a police station in a nearby town. One video posted online showed a crowd of at least 100 people chanting “Shame on you GMP”.
Police, who have not provided any details about the identity of those arrested at the airport, said the protest concluded safely and without incident and that they were engaging with the local community about their concerns.
Racism
Meanwhile, former Metropolitan police chief superintendent Dal Babu has said that the police action at Manchester airport smacked of racism.
Dal Babu told BBC that the force used was “totally excessive” on a man who was “effectively defenceless”, adding: “I think racism played a significant part in this.”
He said this was a serious incident and would further worsen the public trust in police, which is already very low. (Agencies)
