Second police officer under criminal investigation after man 'kicked in the head' in Manchester airport
8 August 2024, 14:29 | Updated: 8 August 2024, 14:54
A second police officer is under investigation after a man was seen being kicked in the head in Manchester Airport.
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Police watchdog the independent office for police conduct (IOPC) said the Greater Manchester Police officer was being probed on suspicion of assault after the July 23 incident. The officer is also being investigated for gross misconduct.
Video emerged last month that showed an officer kick and stamp on the head of Fahir Amaaz, 19, as he and his brother Muhammad Amaad, 25.
The footage was shared widely on social media, sparked widespread concern, and led to protests on the street. The first officer was soon suspended, with a criminal investigation for assault launched nine days after the incident.
The IOPC said on Thursday they had received a referral from Greater Manchester Police on August 6 of a complaint "detailing several allegations, from one of the people involved".
This led to the criminal investigation into the second officer.
After the first footage was circulated, a second video emerged that showed officers being attacked before the kicking.
LBC callers react as new footage from Manchester Airport head-kicking emerges
Police said three of their officers were assaulted after being called out to an altercation at the airport - including a female police constable who suffered a broken nose - and four men were arrested.
In a press conference earlier this week, a lawyer for the Amaad family claimed the brothers' mother, Shameem Akhtar, 56, was hit in the face with a Taser by an officer.
IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said on Thursday that the situation "was complex and escalated rapidly."
She added: "The incident, which resulted in injuries to police officers and members of the public, has caused understandable concern and we are working hard to piece together all of the relevant events on that day.
“In parallel, Greater Manchester Police is investigating whether any criminal offences were committed by members of the public during the initial altercation and the subsequent arrests. These investigations are separate, and we are liaising with the Crown Prosecution Service to establish how they can progress in parallel.
People should 'reserve judgement' on actions of police officer at Manchester Airport, says caller
“We are grateful to those who have assisted our investigation so far and we continue to gather and review substantial amounts of evidence. We are aware that more evidence is in the public realm and we continue to encourage people to contact our incident line with any relevant information."
The IOPC said they were looking into the force police used against two men and a woman during the initial incident and the force they used on three other people during the second incident.
They said they were working out whether officers' actions were in line with police rules.
Four men were arrested on suspicion of affray and assault following the incident and were later bailed.
