Police officer who appeared to kick man at Manchester Airport now under criminal investigation

A police officer who was filmed appearing to kick a man in the head at Manchester Airport, is now under criminal investigation.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has advised the police constable he is being criminally investigated on suspicion of assault - over the force used during an incident in which a number of men were arrested at Terminal 2 on Tuesday 23 July.

The IOPC has also served the police constable with a disciplinary notice to inform him he is being investigated for potential gross misconduct for a number of alleged breaches of police professional standards including his use of force.

The serving of notices does not necessarily mean criminal charges will follow. At the end of the investigation - the IOPC 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.

IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said:

“We can confirm we are conducting a criminal investigation into the use of force during events which took place on 23 July at Manchester Airport. We are arranging to interview a police constable under criminal caution as soon as possible.

“I have today met one of the men who was involved and his family members to outline our investigation and we will continue to update them and Greater Manchester Police as our enquiries progress. We will be speaking to the man involved in the second incident as soon as we can.

“The family has asked me to reiterate their call for peace and wish 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.

“Our investigation continues to gather relevant evidence and will be following a number of lines of enquiry. We will provide further updates when we are in a position to do so.”

IOPC investigators have already secured a significant amount of body worn video and CCTV footage which they say will be subject to detailed analysis.

Protesters are being urged to listen to the family of a man kicked by a police officer at Manchester Airport and ensure calm prevails after a second night of demonstrations.

Roads and tram lines were blocked in Manchester city centre on Thursday night during a protest after a police officer was suspended following footage of the incident, in terminal two of the airport on Tuesday.

Videos online appeared to show a handful of demonstrators, with their faces covered, throwing eggs at Rochdale police station on Thursday night.

Rochdale Labour MP Paul Waugh, who has met with the family involved in the incident at the airport, told the PA news agency: "Extremists of all kinds are going to try and exploit this and hijack it for their own ends and that is the last thing this town needs.

"So, it's my job to make sure that that family, who have been quite dignified in their response to this, get their wishes, which is to see calm prevail, but also for justice to prevail."

Asked what he expects to happen next, Mr Waugh said: "I really hope that if there are any protests that they are peaceful, but, that the family's wishes are adhered to.

"People should listen to them. They're at the centre of this, at the end of the day, and they are the people who say 'look, please let us just get on and pursue the independent process now'.

"That's our focus, as well as making sure that they get the right medical help for their family members."

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