Andy Burnham has warned protesters not to use a video appearing to show a police officer kicking a man on the floor at Manchester Airport for “political purposes”.
It comes as a lawyer for the man, charity fundraiser Muhammad Fahir Amaaz, 19, claimed he had a CT scan and has a cyst on his brain.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Mr Burnham, called for “calm” after the police officer was suspended on Thursday.
He met with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to discuss the footage. The police watchdog is investigating.
Crowds gathered in Manchester for a second night on Thursday to protest. Some held placards reading “Black Lives Matter” and ‘Stop police brutality’ as they marched through the streets.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, Mr Burnham cautioned people with a political agenda against exploiting the situation for personal gain.
He had seen the full footage leading up to a Greater Manchester Police officer kicking and stamping on the head of Mr Amaaz who was lying face down on the floor of Terminal Two and said it was “not a clear-cut situation”.
Describing it as “fast-moving and complicated” incident with “issues for both sides”, Mr Burnham added: “People do use situations like this for political purposes. I would ask them not to do it.
“There is understandable feeling and anger in the communities when people see the incident, of course, I guess everyone understands that and there’s a reaction but when people seek to exploit that then I don’t think that is at all in the public interest, it’s not right.”
He said: “I guarantee everybody across Greater Manchester today who has deep concerns about this that this will be done properly, in the right way, independently. It will be looked at and we’ll come to a right and fair conclusion.
“We have to balance the range of things, don’t we? There is a difficult job that our front-line professionals do, but at the same time they have to always uphold the highest standards and that is what I’m here to do, to hold Greater Manchester Police to account on behalf of the public and that is the process that will now take place.”
A solicitor representing two of the men involved in the incident, Mr Amaaz and his brother Amaad, said their elder brother is a serving Greater Manchester Police officer.
Dubbed the “TikTok lawyer”, Mr Yakoob won a significant vote share at this year’s West Midlands mayoral election as he finished in third position on a pro-Gaza ticket.
Speaking on BBC News outside Rochdale police station, Akhmed Yakoob said the incident was an example of “police brutality”, adding: “The people who were assaulted by the police are members of a police officer’s family who is currently serving in the Greater Manchester Police force.
“This man is now afraid to go to work. He went in today and spoke to his supervisor, and the only reason he is not going to work (is) because he is fearing for his own safety and he thinks, like his family members were the victims, he could be a victim.
“The family are okay but they are traumatised.”
Mr Yakoob said one of the men’s condition has “worsened” since Wednesday night, with a CT scan revealing there is “a cyst on his brain”.
“The main concern for us, for me, is that the family receive justice and this no longer happens again,” the solicitor went on.
Mr Yakoob refused to be drawn on what may have been the spark to the fracas.
Asked why the police had approached the family, he said: “That’s not relevant. The relevant issue right now is the health and the wellbeing of the family.
“One thing I can say loud and clear is that nothing justifies the barbaric treatment from the police officers.
“Because as you can see from the videos that everybody has seen there was no threat whatsoever to the police or the public.
“People are forgetting that the mother was assaulted as well. She got punched and kicked in the face.”
Mr Yakoob said he had a “long history” with the police himself but added: “We are with policing but we are against people taking advantage of their powers.”
Labour MP for Rochdale Paul Waugh says the video footage of a Greater Manchester police officer kicking and stamping on a man in Manchester Airport 'is truly shocking and disturbing'.https://t.co/PAiZ4D1jU3
— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 25, 2024
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/1d7cMiRm0l
The video shared on social media on Tuesday also appeared to show the officer strike a second man.
Police said three of their officers had been assaulted, including a female Pc who suffered a broken nose, and four men were arrested.
Mr Amaaz’s brother Amaad, 25, of Rochdale, told MailOnline: “The family’s all shook up with everything that’s happened. You’ve seen what happened to my mum.
“There’s a lot we’re dealing with, my brother’s still in hospital getting a CT scan. He’s got a black eye.
“My brother is in a bad way. He is very shaken up.”
In a statement on Thursday morning, a force spokesman said: “Following a thorough review of further information that has become available in relation to an incident at Manchester Airport on Tuesday evening, Greater Manchester Police has suspended a police officer from all duties.
“A referral has now been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for a full independent investigation.
“We understand the deep concerns that have been widely raised with us, and will continue to meet and discuss these feelings with Greater Manchester residents and elected representatives, whilst this independent investigation takes place.”
Asked about the video, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I’ve seen it myself. I understand that concern.
“There has now been the suspension of one police officer this morning and the Home Secretary is meeting the Mayor of (Greater Manchester) to discuss this as we speak now.”
Police said the protest on Wednesday night, which was reported to have been attended by an estimated 200 people, some chanting “GMP shame on you”, concluded “without incident”.
Rochdale MP Paul Waugh spoke with the family on Thursday.
Mr Waugh said: “This is a hardworking Rochdale family, some of whose members are police officers themselves and are therefore particularly shocked at what they have witnessed.
“The family also want me to make it crystal clear that they have no political agenda, do not condone political violence and do not want to take part in any protests.
“They wanted me to appeal for calm and I hope that appeal is heeded. While there is clearly deep concern about this incident, there is also a vital need not to let extremists of any kind hijack these events for their own ends.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in statement shared on X: “I share the deep concern surrounding the video and understand the widespread distress it will have caused. I welcome the initiation of an independent investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct following a referral from Greater Manchester Police.
“It is extremely important that the IOPC are able to begin the investigation swiftly and conduct it thoroughly, examining all of the evidence, with clear and transparent ways for all those affected to be able to raise their concerns with the IOPC.
“I am continuing to receive updates from Greater Manchester Police. It is vital that we now allow this investigation to proceed fairly and independently.”
According to the Manchester Evening News, some protesters let off fireworks outside the police station and one told the crowd: “We’re no longer going to settle for this police brutality. We put our trust in the police and what do they do instead they inflict violence upon us when we surrender to them.”
GMP Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry said: “We understand the immense feeling of concern and worry that people feel about our response and fully respect their right to demonstrate their views peacefully.
“We have already referred our actions to the Independent Office for Police Conduct and will be in further discussions with them today.
“We have spent the evening listening to community feedback and will continue to engage with communities and elected members to maintain strong partnership links and understand local views.”
Describing the video as “truly shocking”, he said people were “rightly extremely concerned”.
The force has said officers at the airport were responding to reports of an altercation between members of the public.
Mr Chaudhry added: “During our response, three officers were assaulted.
“One female officer suffered a broken nose and the other officers were forced to the ground and suffered injuries which required hospital treatment.”
Two men were arrested on suspicion of assault, assault of an emergency worker, affray and obstructing police and two were held on suspicion of affray and assault of an emergency worker, he said.
Amar Minhas, from Leeds, told the BBC he was coming through arrivals at the airport when he saw police officers approach a man, in his early 20s, and pin him up against a wall, before a fight broke out.
He described the man “throwing punches, he was Tasered, and fell to the floor”, adding “that’s when the policeman kicked him”.
