Family of a man kicked in the head by police at Manchester Airport have expressed concern for officers injured in the incident.
Protests erupted in Rochdale and Manchester city centre after a video circulated of an officer allegedly kicking and stamping on a man as he lay face-down during an arrest at the airport on Tuesday evening.
Further footage that surfaced over the weekend appeared to show the chaotic lead-up to the arrest.
The footage, published by Manchester Evening News, showed several police officers being kicked and punched by two men.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said three officers received head injuries, including one who suffered a broken nose.
A source representing the family of the men arrested said in a statement seen by the BBC: "If anyone broke the law they should face due process."
They reportedly said the family had "real concern for any police officer injured".
A Greater Manchester Police constable has been advised he is under criminal investigation for assault over the incident, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Friday.
The new video appears to show a group of people standing by ticket machines in terminal two (T2) and a man in a light blue outfit is facing one of the machines.
It appears male and female officers attempting to restrain two men were involved in a series of strikes and punches before one man was tasered.
An officer and a man in blue appear to grapple until the latter lies still on the ground, face-down, and a woman kneels by his side.
The officer then appears to kick and then stamp on his head, which was shown in the footage already widely circulated.Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham warned people not to jump to conclusions, as he said “nobody is in possession of the complete picture” of what happened.
“It’s a complicated situation, a very violent situation actually, and there were issues on both sides,” he told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.
“That’s why I asked other people not to rush to judgment because of the complexity of it and, simply, everyone who’s having their say, nobody has got all of the facts. Nobody is in possession of the complete picture.”
It came as Akhmed Yakoob, a controversial lawyer with a large following on TikTok, said in a video on the app: “After reviewing the CCTV footage from Manchester Airport, I would like to say that nothing can justify a kick to the head to a defenceless man and a stomp to the head. Those are my views.
“These officers are highly trained. They shouldn’t be losing control or seeing red.”
The family of the men involved, who are understood to be brothers, have now appointed a different lawyer, the BBC reported.
Greater Manchester Police has opened a public portal for more footage and it is appealing for witnesses to three incidents at Terminal 2 (T2).
The first is “an altercation between passengers” from Qatar Airways flight QR023 that arrived at 7.20pm, which they said may have taken place on the flight or T2 baggage hall.
There was then a “violent altercation involving members of the public” in T2 at about 8.22pm, GMP said.
At 8.28pm at the terminal’s car park pay point area three police officers were assaulted and left with head injuries including a broken nose, it added.
“The second incident is a violent disturbance involving members of the public in T2 Starbucks at approximately 8.22pm.
“The third incident is the assault of three police officers which occurred in the T2 car park pay point area at 8.28pm. This resulted in the three officers receiving head injuries, including a broken nose.
“The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is independently investigating the use of force by GMP officers that directly followed these events, and is shown within the footage on social media.”
On Wednesday, the day after the incident took place, a large crowd protested outside Rochdale police station. They reportedly shouted “GMP shame on you” while on Thursday demonstrators blocked roads and tram lines in a protest which started outside Mr Burnham’s office in central Manchester.
The family of the man who was reportedly kicked and stamped on issued a “plea for calm” and urged people not to take part in any further protests, their MP said on Saturday.
Paul Waugh, the newly-elected Labour MP for Rochdale, shared a statement written by the family urging people to give those involved “time to heal” and for “due process to take its course”.
The officer facing a criminal investigation has also been served with a disciplinary notice to inform him he was being investigated for potential gross misconduct for a number of alleged breaches of police professional standards, including his use of force, an IOPC spokesman said.
