Police Officer Suspended After Kicking Video At Airport

 

A police officer has been suspended after a video circulated online showing a man being kicked and stamped on the head at Manchester Airport.

An officer has been removed from all duties following a “thorough review of further information” into the incident, which happened on Tuesday, Greater Manchester Police has confirmed.

The footage shows a uniformed officer pointing a Taser at a man lying on the ground in Terminal 2 before kicking him twice, at around 8.30pm BST.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who met the Home Secretary over the incident, called for calm.

After the meeting, Yvette Cooper said she understood the “widespread distress” caused by the footage, adding that she had spoken to police about the “urgent measures” they were taking.

He said it was “essential” that the police enjoyed the trust of communities and that the public “rightly expects high standards from those charged with ensuring our safety”.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said it understood the “deep concerns” that had been “widely raised”.

The footage sparked a protest outside Rochdale police station on Wednesday night, with hundreds of people gathering and chants of “shame on you”.

Before the incident shown in the footage, a police spokesperson said the armed officers had been knocked to the ground after attempting to arrest someone following a brawl at the airport.

“Truly shocking”

There was a “clear risk” that their weapons could be taken from them, the police spokesman said, adding that all three had been taken to hospital, one with a broken nose.

Four men were later arrested on suspicion of assault and affray and have all been released on bail.

It is not yet clear what caused the crash, but Mr Burnham said he thought there had been “a problem on a flight arriving into Manchester”.

“When the flight landed, two people were waiting for the mother, who said there had been a problem,” he said.

“He pointed at someone and there was an argument in the arrivals hall.”

He said the people involved were “tracked by cameras through the airport and then we arrived at the scene that people saw in the parking lot area.”

Mr Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester he had seen “the full footage” which showed a “fast-moving and complicated situation in a difficult position, it’s unclear”.

“Time has been spent getting a clearer picture of what happened,” he said, adding that an investigation now needed to be “thoroughly and thoughtfully conducted.”

Anderson Calls Airport Video Irresponsible – Burnham
Amar Minhas from Leeds was walking through the terminal with his family when he saw officers approaching the man to arrest him.

“They pinned him against a wall,” he told the BBC, before another man tried to intervene and a fight broke out, with the pinned man throwing punches until he was Tasered to the ground, when the officer kicked him.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham urged people not to use the situation for “political gain”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he “fully understands” public concern over the footage.

Sir Keir said the Home Secretary was being kept constantly updated.

Former Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent Dal Babu told BBC Radio 4 that the police actions were “appalling and unnecessary” and that he believed racism played a role in the incident.

He said the men were arrested for affray and assault, not for “serious” crimes such as attempted murder, grievous bodily harm or malicious wounding.

“I think racism played a significant role in all of this,” he said, adding that GMP had been “slow since lockdown to understand the severity” of the incident at a time when trust in the police was “so low”.

One woman said: “If I were to kick someone in the face, I would be arrested and convicted, the charges would not be dropped and a police officer would be treated the same way.”

Meanwhile, a man from the city said: “The police reaction was wrong, but I don’t know what the context is.

“We have to see the whole picture. But when you kick a man who can’t defend himself, you’re going beyond the point of using force.”

Usman Nawaz of the Rochdale Community Alliance said the “extremely disturbing” footage was “not the kind of policing we recognise in this country”.

Usman Nawaz from Rochdale Community Alliance outside Rochdale Police Station, wearing a grey blazer and navy blue shirt. He wears glasses, has dark hair and a medium length dark beard.

Usman Nawaz said there was “significant concern” in the Rochdale community
Mr Nawaz said the people of Rochdale had “generally had a very good relationship with our police” but that the force needed to “get a handle on this very quickly” or mistrust between the police and local communities could grow.

In its latest statement, the force said it would “continue to meet” with Greater Manchester residents and elected representatives to discuss concerns raised about the footage.

She said she had approached the Independent Office for Police Conduct about the incident.

The MP whose man was caught on camera being kicked told the House of Commons that the video was “truly shocking and disturbing”.

Paul Waugh, Labour MP for Rochdale, said he would meet the man’s family later today.
He said the police have a difficult job, but must expect the highest standards of conduct in carrying out their duties.

CCTV footage

Leader of the House Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central, also said the footage was “incredibly disturbing”, adding that there was “understandably a lot of concern”.

IOPC regional director Catherine Bates said the police watchdog was investigating the “level of force” used by a GMP officer in the incident, adding it was “vitally important” that all circumstances were investigated.

He said the investigation was at an early stage but that a “significant amount of body-worn and CCTV footage” of the incident had been acquired.

“We know people want answers and we will work to provide them as quickly as possible,” Ms. Bates said.

A spokesperson for GMP Police Federation said it supported the suspended officer, as did “all our colleagues involved in this incident”.

They added: “Everyone has the right to a fair trial where all sides of the story are told and context is provided.” [BBC]

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