Criminal investigations against police officers for assault after airport video

A police officer is currently under investigation after a video emerged showing an officer kicking and stomping on the head of a man lying on the ground at Manchester Airport.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Friday that the Greater Manchester Police officer had been informed that he was being investigated for assault.

A spokesman said the officer had also received a disciplinary notice informing him that he was being investigated for possible gross misconduct arising from a number of alleged breaches of police professional standards, including the use of force.

This was followed by two nights of protests in Rochdale and Manchester city centre. The protests followed a video shared on social media and taken in the airport’s Terminal 2 on Tuesday, which shows a police officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man lying face down on the ground with a woman kneeling next to him.

The video also appeared to show the officer hitting a second man.

Catherine Bates, regional director of the IOPC, said: “We can confirm that we are conducting a criminal investigation into the use of violence during the events of 23 July at Manchester Airport. We are arranging the interview of a police officer under criminal supervision as soon as possible.

“I have met with one of the men involved and his family today to explain our investigation. We will keep them and Greater Manchester Police updated on the progress of our investigation. We will speak to the man involved in the second incident as soon as possible.

“The family has asked me to reiterate their call for peace and would like to stress that they will not tolerate any acts of violence as a result of this incident.

“We are meeting with a number of community leaders in Rochdale this afternoon to listen to their concerns and explain our role.”

Following the IOPC’s investigation, a decision will be made as to whether the case should be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for prosecution and whether disciplinary proceedings should be initiated against the officer, the spokesman said.
Several politicians called for calm following the demonstrations that took place after the video was released.

On Wednesday evening, crowds gathered outside Rochdale police station in protest and videos from Thursday evening showed a handful of protesters throwing eggs at the building.

Roads and tram lines in Manchester city centre were blocked during a “Stand Up To Racism” demonstration that began outside the office of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham on Thursday.

Paul Waugh, Labour MP for Rochdale, who met the affected family, told the PA news agency: “Extremists of all kinds will try to exploit this and use it for their own ends and that is the last thing this town needs.”

“My job is to ensure that the wishes of this family, who have reacted to the matter with great dignity, are fulfilled. That means that calm prevails, but also that justice prevails.”

Police said three of their officers were attacked while responding to reports of an altercation at the airport. One of them was a female officer who suffered a broken nose. Four men were also arrested.

Anyone with further information about the incident should contact the IOPC at [email protected].