The UK’s police watchdog on Friday said it had launched a criminal probe into an incident caught on video in which an officer appeared to kick and stamp on a Pakistani man’s, Fahir, head while making an arrest.
Greater Manchester Police in northwest England has suspended an officer from all duties following the incident at Manchester Airport on Tuesday.
“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,” said Catherine Bates, regional director of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The officer involved would be formally interviewed “as soon as possible”, she added.
The video, which circulated online, caused public outrage and two nights of protests in Manchester and nearby Rochdale. The IOPC said it was looking at the “level of force” used.
Greater Manchester Police has said that three officers were assaulted, with one female officer “suffering a broken nose” and requiring hospital treatment, while apprehending a suspect at the airport following reports of an assault.
Details of what happened immediately before and after the video remain unclear. Police said the “use of such force in an arrest is an unusual occurrence and one that we understand creates alarm”.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said, after seeing the full footage leading up to the circulated clip, that it was “not a clearcut situation” and that while the clip was “disturbing”, there were issues “on both sides”.
The incident occurred after Fahir and his brother were arrested at Manchester Airport on Tuesday. Fahir’s lawyer claims he has developed a brain cyst following the assault.
The altercation began when the brothers’ mother, arriving from Pakistan, reportedly got into a dispute with another passenger. Upon landing, the confrontation continued as a man allegedly pushed his luggage trolley into the woman and made racist remarks.
The brothers, there to greet their mother, found themselves in a heated exchange that resulted in three police officers being injured. One brother was allegedly kicked and stamped on by an officer during the scuffle.
Supporters of the family have staged demonstrations, demanding accountability from the police. The family claims they were walking away from the scene when they were confronted by armed police. They allege that one officer struck the mother in the face, although no footage of this has been released.
Fahir’s lawyer, Akhmed Yakoob, noted that Fahir has been diagnosed with a brain cyst, though it is unclear if it existed before the incident. The IOPC continues to review body-worn and CCTV footage as part of its investigation.
WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM AFP
