Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into a police constable who kicked a man in the head at Manchester Airport.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog said it had notified the Greater Manchester Police officer that he is facing a criminal probe for assault.
A disciplinary notice informing the officer that he was being investigated for potential gross misconduct for a number of alleged breaches of police professional standards, including his use of force was also served, a spokesman said.
The development comes after two nights of protests in Rochdale and Manchester city centre after footage was shared on social media of an incident at terminal two of the airport on Tuesday.
The video showed an officer kick and stamp on the head of a man who was lying face down on the floor, with a woman kneeling beside him.
A second man also appeared to be struck by the officer in the footage.
🚨Breaking news 🚨
IOPC ( Independent Office for Police Conduct ) has begun criminal investigation into officer that brutally assaulted man at Manchester Airport.Richard Tice said that he couldn’t see a problem with this outrageous behaviour and so did Lee Anderson absolute… pic.twitter.com/kj2etlfSwp
— Mark , 💙💛🇺🇦, 🇪🇺💙NHS #FBPE (@markeverett1977) July 26, 2024
IOPC regional director Catherine Bates said: “We can confirm we are conducting a criminal investigation into the use of force during events which took place on July 23 at Manchester Airport.
“We are arranging to interview a police constable under criminal caution as soon as possible.
“I have today met one of the men who was involved and his family members to outline our investigation and we will continue to update them and Greater Manchester Police as our enquiries progress.
“We will be speaking to the man involved in the second incident as soon as we can.
“The family has asked me to reiterate their call for peace and wish to stress that they do not condone 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 investigation, decisions will be made on whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision and whether the officer should face disciplinary proceedings, the spokesman said.
Mayor Andy Burnham has again called for calm after the Manchester Airport video, saying people do not want politicians to exploit the situation “for their own political agenda”.
Mr Burnham said: “People spoke of the family’s appeal for calm. It was echoed in the room and I am today amplifying that message as loudly and clearly as I can so that everyone hears it.
“Lots of people this week have had their say on events here and it’s important now that those same people hear what people in Greater Manchester want to happen next.
He added: “What people here don’t want – and I heard this very clearly in the room this morning – is politicians without possession of the facts exploiting the situation for their own political agenda with zero regard for the effect on the ground in communities in Greater Manchester.”
