A new lawyer has said he has been instructed by the men involved in the incident involving Manchester Airport police. Footage of a Manchester Airport firearms officer appearing to kick a man in the head as he lay face down on the ground went viral on social media last week, sparking outrage and protests.
On Saturday, the Manchester Evening News exclusively shared a second video, which appears to show the preparations for the incident. One officer remains suspended and is subject to a criminal investigation, the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said.
Glasgow-based Aamer Anwar, born in Manchester to Pakistani parents, today announced he would take over the business of Fahir Amaaz, 19, from Muhammad Amaad, their mother and family.
The new legal representation comes after TikTok lawyer Akhmed Yakoob, who represented the family, announced he was stepping down. Yakoob, a Birmingham-based lawyer with nearly 210,000 followers on TikTok, accused the media of trying to “sabotage” him.
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Mr Anwar claimed the arrested men had been racially abused before their detention. He also claimed their mother had been racially abused, the Daily Record reports.
The 56-year-old said: “I am being instructed on behalf of Fahir Amaaz, Muhammad Amaad, their mother and family regarding the incident at Manchester Airport on Tuesday 23rd July 2024. The family request that no media representatives attend their home, all contact should be made through their solicitor.
“I have spoken to the IOPC about making a formal complaint and I expect all police CCTV and body camera footage to be preserved. There can be no excuse for any footage to inadvertently disappear.
“If some police officers behave like this in an area full of surveillance cameras and in the presence of so many witnesses, then one can wonder what they are capable of when there is no such evidence.
“Highly trained police officers can never use provocation or emotion to justify the use of excessive, unlawful and potentially deadly force. I also urge any members of the public who witnessed the incident or were victims of police violence to come forward and contact the IOPC or my office.
“The family, a number of whom are serving police officers, wish to make it clear that if a member of their family has engaged in criminal conduct they should face due process. However, the repeated attempts by so-called police sources to create a false narrative or context are of no assistance to an IOPC investigation.
“We expect GMP to arrest a member of the public accused of subjecting the brothers’ 60-year-old mother to a tirade of racist abuse and assault – which is what sparked the incident – the police of course have his details and must act immediately.
“In the coming days, once the formal legal proceedings and our investigations are complete, the family will release a full statement at a press conference.”
New footage has emerged showing the chaotic scenes that led to the arrest in a Terminal 2 car park on Tuesday 23 July.
The video shows two men and several police officers involved in a violent altercation. A police officer can be seen attempting to subdue one of the men before punches are exchanged by both parties. A man, dressed in light blue, who had initially been arrested, manages to break free and lands several punches on the female officers present.
The footage then shows both women being punched in the head and face, with one of them being punched to the ground and kicked while she was on the ground.
Mr Anwar called for a public inquiry after Iain Packer was found guilty in March of murdering Emma Caldwell and 32 other charges, including 11 rapes and multiple sexual assaults against a total of 22 women. He said Crown prosecutors and police had serious questions to answer and lessons to learn from a botched investigation that allowed Iain Packer to walk free for 19 years despite overwhelming evidence he was the killer.
