PC to face criminal investigation over airport kick video

A constable is to face a criminal investigation for assault over an attack which saw a man kicked and stamped on at Manchester Airport, the police watchdog has said.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was arranging to interview the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer under criminal caution "as soon as possible" over the alleged assault on Tuesday.

The officer was suspended by the force on Thursday, after footage of a confrontation between police and two men inside Terminal 2 was widely shared on social media.

The IOPC's Catherine Bates said she had met with "one of the men who was involved and his family members" and would be speaking to the other man as soon as possible.

She said investigators were continuing to gather evidence and had already secured a "significant amount of body worn video and CCTV footage".

The IOPC said the PC's use of an incapacitant spray during the incident would form part of the criminal investigation.

It said the officer had also been served with a disciplinary notice in regards to "potential gross misconduct for a number of alleged breaches of police professional standards including his use of force".

A representative said the "serving of notices" did not "necessarily mean criminal charges will follow".

"At the end of our investigation, we will decide whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision and decide whether the officer should face disciplinary proceedings," they added.

A number of peaceful protests have taken place in the aftermath of the incident

The footage shared online showed a man being kicked and stamped on by an officer as he lay prone on the floor.

Following the incident, Greater Manchester Police said firearms officers had been "violently attacked" in a parking area after trying to make an arrest at about 20:30 BST.

The force said three officers had been taken to hospital, one of whom had suffered a broken nose.

Four men, aged 19, 25, 28 and 31, were arrested on suspicion of assault and affray and had since been bailed.

Solicitor Akhmed Yakoob, who said Muhammad Fahir Amaaz was the man who had been kicked, previously said Mr Amaaz's condition had worsened on Wednesday night and a CT scan had revealed there was "a cyst on his brain".

Speaking on Thursday, Mr Yakoob said he was representing both Mr Amaaz and his brother Amaad, who was also involved in the incident.

He said the brothers, from Rochdale, and their wider family, which included a serving GMP officer, had been left "traumatised", adding that the "after effects" of what had happened were "difficult to assess immediately".

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Rochdale MP Paul Waugh said the family had appealed for "calm in all the communities".

A number of peaceful protests have taken place following the incident.

On Wednesday, crowds gathered outside Rochdale police station and chanted "shame on you", while roads and tram lines were blocked by demonstrators in Manchester city centre on Thursday.

Ms Bates said the family had asked her to "reiterate their call for peace" and wanted 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," she added.

In a statement, GMP Chief Constable Stephen Watson said it was a "source of profound regret" that the incident had caused "shock and upset in some of our communities".

He said senior officers had met with "community representatives to ensure their voices are heard and this will continue", adding: "We are at one with the best instincts of those engaged in appealing for calm."

He also said the force was "committed to providing the fullest practical assistance" to the IOPC.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the "overwhelming" feeling in the region was that there was a need to "move forward" after an "intense and difficult week".

He told a press conference that the people of Greater Manchester wanted a "fair, rigorous and swift" process with "input from the community".