New footage from inside Manchester Airport has emerged of the chaotic moments before a Greater Manchester Police officer was captured kicking a man in the head in a viral video.
Exclusive images, which the Manchester Evening News The footage obtained by the US intelligence service was taken during the events leading up to the incident, which has sparked controversy and protests since it surfaced on social media. The previously shared footage appeared to show the officer kicking and stomping on a man’s head as he lay on the ground.
The new footage shows the chaotic and violent scenes that took place between those involved in the incident and police officers before the incident. At the beginning of the video, a group of people can be seen standing around a cash machine in a Terminal 2 car park.
LEARN MORE: ‘Trauma’, protests and criminal investigation: How the Manchester Airport arrest video incident unfolded
Three police officers – a man and two women – then appear to walk through the group of people towards a man – dressed in light blue – who is facing the machine. One officer appears to grab the man’s hands in an attempt to subdue him.
The police officer then appears to push the man’s head down while his two female colleagues stand by his side. Several people from the group then head towards the scene.
A man appears to grab the police officer in an attempt to free the man who had been arrested. Punches then appear to be exchanged between the officer and the man.
The man appears to repeatedly punch the officer, who then falls to the ground. At the same time, the man – dressed in light blue – who had initially been arrested appears to break free from the officer’s grip.
He then appears to punch the female officers several times, with the video showing both women receiving blows to the head and face. At one point, one of the female officers is knocked to the ground.
The officer can then be seen pointing his taser at the man who appears to have punched him. The second man then appears to run toward the officer from behind, throwing multiple punches while continuing to hold his taser in the air.
The man struggles with the officer on the ground, before rolling over onto his stomach and lying face down on the ground. A woman appears to kneel next to him.
The officer then stands up and points his taser at the man. Then – as seen in the widely circulated footage – he appears to kick and then hit his head as he lies on the ground.
The incident sparked a number of protests in our region. But a number of public figures, as well as those involved in the incident, called for “calm.”
On Friday evening, the Independent Office for Police Conduct said a police officer was under criminal investigation for assault. The IOPC stressed that this did not necessarily mean criminal charges would be brought.
But the watchdog confirmed that after its investigation concluded, a decision would be made on whether to refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service.
