WARNING, DISTURBING CONTENT: Footage shows the moment a police officer allegedly kneeled on a man on the ground at one of the bus stops in Manchester Airport’s terminals during an arrest as people watched on
Manchester Airport: Police appear to hit man on the ground during arrest
A video has emerged showing police officers allegedly kneeling on, punching and kicking a man during an arrest at Manchester Airport.
The footage, captured by a holidaymaker and shared with the Manchester Evening News, supposedly shows a man being pinned down at a bus stop in the terminal. In the clip, one officer appears to strike the man four times with his hands and kick him twice in the stomach, while other officers also appear to hit him. The incident reportedly took place around 1pm on Sunday (December 29) at the airport’s bus station.
Greater Manchester Police have responded, stating they “understand the concerns around the use of force shown on the clip” and that it is under review by their Professional Standards Unit. They added that CCTV footage and bodycam recordings from the officers will be assessed.
This comes five months after another incident involving police officers and the public was widely shared online, sparking protests. Earlier this month, two men were summoned to court over the July incident, but no officers will face charges, according to the CPS.
It is understood that police were initially called to the airport’s bus station following reports of a drunk and disorderly man who had been denied access to a bus and was causing a disturbance, reports the Manchester Evening News. The scenes ensued as an officer tried to arrest a man who resisted, leading to an altercation that had other officers rushing in. Shocking footage reveals one cop cuffing the suspect and then seemingly hitting him four times in the torso.
That same officer is also seen delivering two kicks, followed by another trio of punches. While one officer pins down the man’s head, another holds his feet.
A third officer appears to kneel on the bloke before apparently striking him again four times. The situation continued with an officer who was restraining the man’s head appearing to hit him in the face, prompting the suspect to raise his hand as bystanders looked on.
After a brief fight, the police managed to subdue the man who ended up being arrested for being drunk and disorderly, but not for resisting, as per the Manchester Evening News. A Norwegian holidaymaker caught the shocking incident on camera while on a coach traveling from Liverpool to Manchester this Sunday afternoon.
GMP released a statement saying: “We are currently reviewing a video published online showing the arrest of a man at Manchester Airport’s bus terminal yesterday afternoon (Sunday 29 December 2024).
“We understand the concerns around the use of force shown on the clip and our professional standards unit is assessing all available footage including the officers’ body worn cameras and CCTV.”
It has been reported that no complaints were made by any members of the public or the suspect.
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