A police officer has been suspended after a video circulated online of a man being kicked and stamped on the head at Manchester Airport.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed an officer had been removed from all duties after a “thorough review of further information” of the incident, which took place on Tuesday.
The footage showed a uniformed male officer holding a Taser over the man who was lying on the ground at Terminal 2 before striking him twice.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has appealed for calm after the footage sparked a protest outside Rochdale police station.
Crowds could be heard chanting “shame on you” at the demonstration where hundreds of people had gathered on Wednesday night.
Greater Manchester Police said it understood the “deep concerns” that had been “widely raised”.
In the build up to the incident shown in the clip, a police spokesman said that firearms officers had been punched to the ground after trying to make an arrest following a fight in the airport.
‘Truly shocking’
There was a “clear risk” their weapons could be taken from them, he said, adding all three had been taken to hospital, one with a broken nose.
Four men were arrested on suspicion of assault and affray.
Mr Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester the video was “very disturbing” and the suspension of an officer was the “right action”.
However, he said he had since seen “the full footage” that showed a “fast-moving and complicated situation in a challenging location – it’s not clear cut”.
“Time has been taken to get a clearer picture of what has happened,” he said, adding that an investigation needed to proceed now “in a thorough and measured way”.
The force said in its latest statement that it would “continue to meet” with Greater Manchester residents and elected representatives to discuss concerns raised about the footage.
It said it had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over the incident.
Former chief superintendent of the Met Police, Dal Babu, told BBC Radio 4 the police actions were “appalling and unnecessary” and in his opinion racism played a part in the incident.
He said “nobody could justify” assaulting police, but said the men were arrested for affray and assault, not offences at the “serious end” like attempted murder, gross bodily harm, or malicious wounding.
“I think racism played a significant part in this,” he said, adding GMP had been “slow out of the block in understanding the seriousness” of the incident at a time when trust in police was “so low”.
Rochdale MP Paul Waugh said he felt it was “right” that an officer had been removed from duties following the “truly shocking and disturbing incident”.
“I have had it confirmed that the man arrested is a Rochdale resident and I have talked to his family,” he said in a statement posted on X.
Mr Waugh said he planned to meet the family in person later.
