New Manchester Airport video shows violence erupt before officer 'kicks' man in head
The footage is believed to capture the lead-up to the incident which has sparked controversy and protests since it emerged on social media
Chaotic scene before man 'kicked' in head by police officer
Newly surfaced footage from inside Manchester Airport reveals the chaotic moments leading up to a controversial incident where a Greater Manchester Police officer was seen seemingly kicking a man in the head in a video that went viral, sparking protests across the region.
The video, obtained by the Manchester Evening News, is believed to show the events before the chaos. A previous video, viewed millions of times on social media, appeared to depict the officer kicking and stomping on a man's head as he lay prone on the ground.
The fresh footage captures violent interactions between the individuals involved in the incident and the police officers prior to this moment. At the beginning of the clip, a group of people can be seen gathering around a ticket machine within a car park at Terminal 2.
Three police officers - one male and two females - then seem to navigate through the crowd towards a man - clad in light blue - who is facing the machine. One officer appears to seize the man's hands in an effort to restrain him.
The male officer then seems to force the man's head down while his two female colleagues stand nearby. Several people from the group then approach the scene.
One man appears to grab the male officer in an attempt to free the man who had been detained. Punches then appear to be thrown by both the officer and the man.
The man appears to repeatedly throw punches at the male officer, who has lowered to the ground at this point. At the same time, the man - dressed in light blue - who had originally been detained appears to break free from the female officer.
He then appears to throw a number of punches towards the female officers, with the clip showing both women receiving blows to the head and face. At one point, one of the female officers is punched to the ground.
The male officer can then be seen holding his taser towards the male who appeared to punch him. The second man then appears to run at this officer from behind, throwing a number of punches towards him as he continues to hold his taser into the air.
The man grapples with the officer to the ground, before he turns over onto his stomach and lay face down. A woman appears to kneel down next to him.
The officer then stands up and points his taser towards the man. Then - as has been already seen in the widely shared footage - he appears to kick and then stamp his head as he lay on the ground.
The incident has sparked a number of protests across our region. But a number of public figures, and those involved in the incident themselves, have appealed for 'calm'.
On Friday night The Independent Office for Police Conduct said a police constable is under criminal investigation for assault. The IOPC stressed it doesn't necessarily mean criminal charges will follow.
But the watchdog confirmed that after the conclusion of its investigation, a decision would be made over whether to refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service.
