Mayor Urges Caution After Airport Incident Sparks Protests

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has called for patience and understanding after a new video surfaced showing an incident at Manchester Airport where a police officer appears to kick a man in the head.

This incident, which originally took place on July 23, has already sparked protests in Manchester city centre and Rochdale after footage was shared on social media. The new clip shows a chaotic scene at Terminal 2, where police officers were trying to restrain a man wearing a matching light blue outfit.

In the video, as officers attempted to control the situation, a second man wearing a black T-shirt appeared to intervene, leading to a physical altercation. Eventually, things escalated further, with the initial man being tased and then an officer seemingly kicking him in the head.

After the release of the new footage, Mayor Burnham stressed that it’s important not to jump to conclusions regarding the incident. He acknowledged that the situation was quite complicated, stating, “Nobody is in possession of the complete picture.”

Burnham highlighted that four individuals were arrested prior to the footage being released, and investigations are still ongoing. He urged the public to let the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) do their jobs in investigating the conduct of the officers involved.

In response to the protests that followed the initial video, Burnham noted that the incident has several layers, indicating that there was conflict on both sides before the footage became public.

The IOPC has confirmed that the officer in question has been advised they are under criminal investigation for assault. Additionally, the officer has received a notice regarding potential gross misconduct due to the way they handled the situation.

Community leaders and families involved in the incident have been meeting to ensure that the situation is handled peacefully, with calls from the family of the man involved urging for calm and for no further protests.

As the investigations continue, there are growing appeals from police for witnesses to come forward to help clarify the events that unfolded and provide a complete picture for all concerned.