The mayor of Greater Manchester has called on the public “not to rush to judgment” regarding the Manchester airport incident, following the release of new footage that shows a chaotic and violent sequence leading up to the event.
Protests broke out in Rochdale and Manchester city center after a video emerged depicting an officer allegedly kicking and stamping on a man who was lying face-down during an arrest at the airport on Tuesday.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced on Friday that a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) constable has been informed that he is under criminal investigation for assault in connection with the incident.
On Saturday, the Manchester Evening News released additional footage believed to depict the events leading up to the widely circulated video. This new footage shows a group of individuals near ticket machines in Terminal 2 (T2), with a man in a light blue outfit facing one of the machines.
The video appears to show three officers approaching him from behind and attempting to restrain him, with one officer seemingly pushing his head down.
Another man in a dark T-shirt appears to grab the male officer, leading to a physical altercation between them. The officer is seen falling to the ground as the man repeatedly strikes him.
Simultaneously, a female officer is seen trying to restrain the man in blue, but he breaks free and strikes her and another female officer, causing one of them to end up on the ground.
The male officer then seems to point his stun gun at the man in the dark T-shirt before the man in blue charges at him from behind.
They grapple until the man in blue lies still on the ground, face-down, and a woman kneels beside him. The officer then appears to kick and stamp on his head, as shown in the previously circulated footage.
GMP has opened a public portal for additional footage and is seeking witnesses to three specific incidents.
The first involves an “altercation between passengers” on Qatar Airways flight QR023, which arrived at 7:20 pm, possibly occurring on the flight or in the T2 baggage hall.
The second is a “violent altercation involving members of the public” in T2 at around 8:22 pm. The third incident, at 8:28 pm in the terminal car park’s pay point area, involved three police officers being assaulted, resulting in head injuries including a broken nose.
Following the publication of the new footage by the Manchester Evening News, Greater Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, stated: “As I mentioned on Thursday, this is a complex situation with multiple facets. This is why I urged people not to rush to judgment.
“After the incidents leading up to the footage we saw this week, four individuals were arrested and are now on police bail. It is frustrating that more video footage has not been released, but this is due to the ongoing investigation.
“People need to step back and allow the IOPC’s criminal investigation into the officer’s conduct, along with GMP’s investigation into other potential offences, to proceed so that a complete picture can be established.
“Given the ongoing investigations, it is not appropriate to comment further.”
The family of the man reportedly kicked and stamped on has issued a “plea for calm” and asked people to refrain from participating in further protests, according to their MP.
The officer under investigation has also received a disciplinary notice regarding potential gross misconduct for several alleged breaches of police professional standards, including his use of force, an IOPC spokesperson said.
On Wednesday, a large crowd protested outside Rochdale police station, chanting “GMP shame on you,” and on Thursday, demonstrators blocked roads and tram lines in a protest that began outside Burnham’s office in central Manchester.
