No one has full picture of airport assault, says Manchester mayor

LONDON: New footage has surfaced showing the alleged assault of three police officers at Manchester airport, followed by an officer kicking a man in the head.

The chaotic scenes, captured in the video obtained by the Manchester Evening News, depict an officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man lying face down on the floor.

A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer was suspended after the video was widely shared on social media, sparking protests in Rochdale and Manchester city centre. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced that the officer is now under criminal investigation for assault.

The next steps involve determining whether to refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service and deciding if the officer should face disciplinary proceedings.

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told Sky News that it was a complicated situation, a very violent situation, actually, and there were issues on both sides. Simply nobody out there — everyone who’s having their say — nobody has got all of the facts. He urged the public to avoid rushing to conclusions due to the complexity of the situation.

As the investigation continues, police have appealed for witnesses to upload information, images, or footage to a public portal. The first incident is an altercation between passengers from Qatar Airways flight QR023, which arrived at 7:20pm. The altercation may have taken place during the flight or afterwards in the T2 baggage hall, the police said.

The second incident is a violent altercation involving members of the public in T2 Starbucks at around 8:22pm. The Sun newspaper reported there are “shocking” videos showing a cop being put in a chokehold and an officer being left with a broken nose. It also said a male passenger allegedly pushed his trolley into Fahir and Amaad’s mum, according to a source. Then at 8:22pm, the woman met her sons and told them about the incident on the flight.

A “violent altercation” is then said to have erupted at a Starbucks coffee shop at the terminal. Six minutes later, a male officer and two female cops intercepted the family at the car park ticket machines. The report said, “In the clip, Fahir then appears to land a blow to a female officer’s face, breaking her nose. He goes on to knock down a second woman cop in sickening scenes. Brother Amaad then looks to be throwing “full-blooded” punches at a male armed officer as he slumps back into a chair.

After the new footage emerged, Birmingham solicitor Akhmed Yakoob, who represents the family at the centre of a recent incident, has publicly stated he does not condone violence. The 36-year-old lawyer, with a substantial TikTok following of nearly 210,000, posted a video on the platform on Saturday evening following the release of the footage. In his message, he declared: “I do not promote violence.” He continued by explaining his role in calming tensions: “I have been behind the de-escalation of the whole situation, I urged protesters at Rochdale police station to go home.”

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2024