Police officer captured kicking man in the head at Manchester Airport under criminal investigation for assault
The officer has not been named
NewsCourtney Eales and Paul Britton Reporter16:07, 26 Jul 2024Updated 16:13, 26 Jul 2024
A police officer captured on mobile phone footage kicking a man in the head at Manchester Airport is now under criminal investigation for assault. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has clarified that this does not necessarily mean that criminal charges will follow.
The watchdog has confirmed that once its investigation concludes, it will consider whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution. The IOPC plans to engage with 'a number of community leaders' in Rochdale later today to discuss their role and address any issues raised. The officer involved has not been named.
The IOPC said the officer has been given 'a disciplinary notice to inform him that he is being investigated for potential gross misconduct due to several alleged breaches of police professional standards, including his use of force'.
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Today's statement from the IOPC announced: "The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has advised a police constable he is being criminally investigated over the force used during an incident in which a number of men were arrested at Manchester Airport on Tuesday, 23 July." reports the Manchester Evening News.
"We notified the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer today – Friday – that he is under criminal investigation for assault. We have also served the police constable with a disciplinary notice to inform him he is being investigated for potential gross misconduct for a number of alleged breaches of police professional standards including his use of force."
"The serving of notices does not necessarily mean criminal charges will follow. At the end of our investigation we will decide whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision and decide whether the officer should face disciplinary proceedings."
IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: "We can confirm we are conducting a criminal investigation into the use of force during events which took place on 23 July at Manchester Airport. We are arranging to interview a police constable under criminal caution as soon as possible."
She continued: "I have today met one of the men who was involved and his family members to outline our investigation and we will continue to update them and Greater Manchester Police as our enquiries progress. We will be speaking to the man involved in the second incident as soon as we can.
"The family has asked me to reiterate their call for peace and wish to stress that they do not condone any acts of violence as a result of this incident. We are meeting with a number of community leaders in Rochdale this afternoon to listen to their concerns and explain our role.
"Our investigation continues to gather relevant evidence and will be following a number of lines of enquiry. We will provide further updates when we are in a position to do so.
"Our independent investigation began following a referral from the force on Wednesday. IOPC investigators have already secured a significant amount of body worn video and CCTV footage which will be subject to detailed analysis."
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