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Footage showing a police officer kicking a man in the head at Manchester airport has prompted outrage from politicians, local people, and the man’s family, as it sparked allegations of police brutality.
The Greater Manchester Police officer involved was suspended on Thursday as the furore grew over the incident, which took place during a series of chaotic arrests on Tuesday evening.
On Thursday night, a few hundred people joined a demonstration in Manchester organised by Stand Up To Racism, chanting slogans such as “no justice, no peace”. It was the second protest after hundreds gathered outside Rochdale police station the night before.
Akhmed Yakoob, a lawyer for the family involved in the incident, said a CT scan had shown that the man had developed a cyst on his brain. He added that his relatives had been left “traumatised”, with his condition worsening in hospital.
Mr Yakoob also said that the man seen being kicked in the footage has an older brother who is a serving officer with GMP.
Suggestions that racism influenced the altercation have continued, with a former Metropolitan Police chief superintendent suggesting that it played a “significant part in this” and another warning that the response was disproportionate.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said it was “extremely important” that an investigation happened “swiftly” and “thoroughly”, as she expressed “deep concern” over the incident.
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Her comments came after she held an urgent meeting about the incident with the city’s mayor, Andy Burnham, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed on Thursday.
The shocking video, shared widely on social media, shows an officer directing pepper spray at a man’s face, while another clip appears to show a man being kicked in the face by an officer armed with a Taser. Following this, the officer is seen stamping on his head, as the suspect lies on the floor with his arms by his side.
The same officer then points a Taser at another man, who has his hands behind his head. He appears to land a blow to the back of his neck as the suspect is taken down onto the floor.
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GMP initially said that the video was being “assessed” by its professional standards department, and later confirmed that an officer had been removed from operational duties.
In an update on Thursday, the force revealed that the officer had been suspended, and that a second referral had been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct – the first regarding the use of force by an officer on the man on the ground, and the second over the same officer’s use of Pava spray on another man.
A GMP spokesperson 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 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 during a visit on Thursday to Runcorn in Cheshire, where he gave a speech to launch Great British Energy, Sir Keir said: “I’ve seen it myself. I understand that concern.”
The prime minister’s official spokesperson later said that the public “rightly” expect high standards from police officers, who are there to protect our communities.
The announcement of the officer’s suspension comes after an estimated 200 demonstrators gathered to share their disgust at the footage in a protest on Wednesday night, which police said had concluded “without incident”.
Fireworks were reportedly set off at the demonstration, with one protester telling 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.”
The force said its officers had been called to Manchester airport’s Terminal 2 at 8.25pm on Tuesday following reports of a fight.
It said that while trying to arrest a suspect, three of its officers were violently attacked and punched to the ground. One officer suffered a broken nose and all three needed hospital treatment.
“As the attending officers were firearms officers, there was a clear risk during this assault of their firearms being taken from them,” a spokesperson for the force said.
A former chief superintendent with the Metropolitan Police, Dal Babu, said the force used was “totally excessive” against a man who was “effectively defenceless”, adding: “I think racism played a significant part in this.”
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This is a very, very serious incident, and at a time when trust in the police is so low, this is another example of an incident where people will be further concerned.”
Meanwhile, former Met superintendent Leroy Logan described the officer as “a bit of a loose cannon” as he reacted to the footage on Good Morning Britain, describing the incident as “disproportionate” and “unnecessary”.
Rochdale MP Paul Waugh met with the family involved on Thursday. The MP said they were shocked given some of their own family members were police officers, and that they appealed for calm.
“It is clear they (the family) are deeply traumatised by what happened,” he said, while asking they receive privacy “to allow them to heal physically and mentally”.
Earlier, Mr Waugh said: “The video footage of a Greater Manchester Police officer kicking and stamping on a man in Manchester airport is truly shocking and disturbing.”
On Thursday morning, Mr Waugh added to his statement, saying: “The police have said that while trying to arrest a suspect, three of their officers were attacked. They said that one officer suffered a broken nose and all three needed hospital treatment.”
He continued: “It’s important that both the investigation by the police and the investigation into the police conduct now gather the full facts.”
Meanwhile, Reform MP Lee Anderson said: “I think these police should be commended ... in fact I would give them a medal,” adding: “We should support them, back off and let them get on with the job.”
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham appealed for “calm”, adding that the situation is “fast-moving and complicated” - although his words did not stop the protest centred on his office on Thursday night.
Around 200 people marched then marched through the city before speeches too place. Some appeared to block trams lines and roads in the city centre.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, Mr Burnham – who has urged people not to draw conclusions from the footage – said that the video he had seen online was “very disturbing”.
He said: “Firstly, I would say that it is a fast-moving and complicated situation, in a challenging location, obviously, at the airport. It is not clear cut, I would say, and there are issues for both sides in the situation.
“That said, here’s where I want to be really clear: it is right that the officer has been suspended. That is the right action. It is abundantly clear to me that the right steps have been taken.”
