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The footage showed an officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man who was lying face down on the floor during an incident at Manchester Airport. Friday 26 July 2024 19:25, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player A criminal investigation has been launched into an incident in which a police officer was filmed kicking and stamping on a man at Manchester Airport. The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said on Friday that the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer had been advised he was under criminal investigation for assault. A decision will then be made on whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and whether the officer involved should face disciplinary proceedings. A GMP officer was suspended on Thursday after the footage was shared widely on social media. It showed an officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man who was lying face down on the floor. The officer was later filmed pepper-spraying another man before wrestling him to the ground. Police said three of their officers had been assaulted in the incident, including a female constable who suffered a broken nose, and four men were arrested. Catherine Bates, IOPC regional director, said she had met with one of the men involved in the incident and his family, and will continue to update them and the police on the investigation. The GMP''s chief constable Stephen Watson added the incident is a "source of profound regret" for the force and added: "We are at one with the best instincts of those engaged in appealing for calm." Politicians call for calm The video sparked two nights of protests outside Rochdale Police Station and Manchester city centre. In a press conference, Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, called for calm, "particularly over the coming weekend". Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player He said he had visited Rochdale and met with around 40 community members who "spoke of the family''s appeal for calm". Mr Burnham said the people of Greater Manchester want "a process that is able to proceed on the basis of being fair to everyone" He said people do not want "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". Be the first to get Breaking News Install the Sky News app for free Read more from Sky News:
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Murder arrest after 75-year-old man is shot dead in field He added: "I want to finish by repeating the call for calm, particularly over the coming weekend. "Things are now moving forward, the right steps are being taken and people''s voices are being heard. It''s in everyone''s interest that from here we proceed with things in a measured and a peaceful way." Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, said while there was "clearly deep concern", he warned against the issue being hijacked by extremists. He pointed out that the family of the man who was kicked have also appealed for calm following the protests that saw demonstrators blocking tram lines and roads in Manchester, adding that "they have no political agenda". Former Rochdale MP George Galloway said he knew the family who were involved well, and planned to visit their home on Friday afternoon. Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News Supporting calls for protests to remain peaceful, he said: "We don''t want anything distracting from where the focus should now be, on the investigation and getting it speedily and properly completed." ''Traumatised'' Akhmed Yakoob, a solicitor representing the family of the man kicked in the footage, said yesterday that they were "okay" but "traumatised". Speaking to media outside Rochdale police station, Mr Yakoob said the condition of one of the men had worsened, adding that a CT scan revealed a "cyst on his brain". He added: "The main concern for us, for me, is that the family receive justice and this no longer happens again."
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