The lawyer for the family at the centre of the Manchester airport brawl has said he is stepping aside as investigations into the incident gather pace.
Akhmed Yakoob became the focus of criticism after claiming 19-year-old Muhammed Fahir was the victim of an “attempted assassination” that had left him “fighting for his life”.
In footage that emerged at the weekend, Fahir could be seen throwing punches at police officers before being incapacitated with a Taser. An armed officer was then filmed kicking the teenager in the face and stamping on his head.
The officer has been suspended and is facing criminal charges of assault as part of an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). He is expected to be interviewed under caution in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Greater Manchester police (GMP) have stepped up their investigation into Fahir and three others who were arrested at the scene for affray and assault on emergency service workers.
Yakoob, a director at the Birmingham-based firm Maurice Andrews Solicitors, said the media had tried to “sabotage” him since he started representing Fahir’s family last week.
Addressing the camera from the back of a car on Sunday night, he said: “You may have seen the various media reports about me in the last couple of days.
“The media have tried to sabotage me. It’s not the first time they’ve done this though, but they’ve made this whole situation about me rather than police brutality and police misconduct, which is unfair on Greater Manchester police and the family.
“So after consulting with the family I have decided for now to step aside and I have recommended the family to a lawyer. But I will be keeping a close eye on this.”
He added: “I’d like to say that I am not for violence, whether it’s from police officers, whether it’s from civilians. Always remember that.”
The 36-year-old, who has 200,000 followers on TikTok and has been posting frequent updates about Fahir’s case, came under investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority this year after he used social media to promote a false claim of racism against a young teacher.
He stood as an independent candidate in Birmingham Ladywood in the general election after coming third in the vote for West Midlands mayor in May. He apologised in June after being criticised for saying on a podcast that “70% of hell is going to be women”, and for failing to condemn a guest saying he would give his wife a “backhander” if she made money dancing on TikTok.
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, appealed for calm at the weekend after the Manchester Evening News published footage that showed officers being punched by two men, one of whom was then kicked by the armed officer under investigation.
GMP have appealed for witness to provide information and any video footage about three incidents prior to the one involving the suspended officer.
The first was an altercation between passengers from Qatar Airways flight QR023, which arrived at 7.20pm on Tuesday 23 July. The force said the altercation may have taken place during the flight or afterwards in the terminal two baggage hall.
The second incident was a “violent altercation” involving people in a Starbucks at terminal two about an hour later, police said.
The third was the assault of three police officers which occurred in the terminal two car park pay point area at 8.28pm. This resulted in the three officers receiving head injuries, including a broken nose, the force said.
A GMP spokesperson has also responded to reports that armed officers were refusing to carry weapons following the incident. “Following last week’s incident at Manchester airport, officers on duty were offered the choice to temporarily step back from their firearms roles for welfare reasons,” the spokesperson said.
“While some chose to do so, their shifts were covered by other officers and our operational capabilities remained the same. We have not had reports of officers refusing to carry weapons following the incident.”
