A Greater Manchester Police constable is under criminal investigation for assault after a video emerged of a man being kicked and stamped on at Manchester Airport.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said on Friday the constable is being “criminally investigated over the force used” during the incident, in which a number of men were arrested on Tuesday.
A spokesperson said: “We notified the Greater Manchester Police officer on Friday that he is under criminal investigation for assault.
“We have 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, the IOPC said.
The outcome of the investigation will determine whether the matter is referred 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/have also met 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 began on Wednesday securing “a significant amount” of body worn video and CCTV footage.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, urged for restraint in the wake of the incident.
He said: "What we don't want is 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."
Burnham also made a plea for peace in the coming days, adding: "I want to finish by repeating the call for calm particularly over the coming weekend."
The incident follows two consecutive nights of protests in Rochdale and Manchester city centre.
The unrest was sparked by a video that circulated on social media, captured at Manchester Airport's Terminal Two on Tuesday.
The footage showed a police officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man who was lying face down on the ground, while a woman knelt beside him.
The same video also appeared to depict the officer striking a second individual.
Following the IOPC investigation, decisions will be made on whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision and whether the officer should face disciplinary proceedings, the spokesman said.
Anyone with more information about the incident can contact the IOPC on Manchesterairport@policeconduct.gov.uk
