A police officer has been filmed kicking and stamping on the head of a man lying on the ground at Manchester Airport, sparking widespread outrage and calls for an investigation.
In the widely circulated video, the uniformed male officer is seen holding a Taser over the man, who is lying face down, before striking him twice. Other officers can be heard shouting at onlookers to stay back.
Following the release of the footage, Manchester Police issued a statement addressing the incident: “We are aware of a video that is circulating online which shows our firearms officers responding to an incident at Manchester Airport. Officers were called to reports of an altercation between members of the public in Terminal 2.
While attempting to arrest one of the suspects from the earlier altercation, three officers were subjected to a violent assault where they were punched to the ground. A female officer suffered a broken nose, and all three were taken to hospital for treatment.”
The statement continued,
“As the attending officers were firearms officers, there was a clear risk during this assault of their firearms being taken from them.
Four men were arrested at the scene for affray and assault on emergency services workers. We acknowledge the concerns regarding the conduct seen in the video and our professional standards directorate is assessing this."
The incident has prompted significant public concern and calls for a thorough investigation to ensure accountability and prevent future occurrences.