British police filmed stamping on man’s head at airport

A police officer has been filmed kicking and stamping on the head of a man lying on the ground at Manchester Airport.

The uniformed male officer is seen holding a Taser over the man, who is lying face down, before striking him twice while other officers shout at onlookers to stay back in a video shared widely online.

Greater Manchester Police said firearms officers had been attacked while attempting to arrest someone following a fight in the airport’s Terminal 2 on Tuesday.

The force said it “acknowledges the concerns of the conduct within the video”, and confirmed one officer had been removed from operational duties.

Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry said: “We know that a film of an incident at Manchester Airport that is circulating widely shows an event that is truly shocking, and that people are rightly extremely concerned about.

“The use of such force in an arrest is an unusual occurrence and one that we understand creates alarm.

“One male officer has been removed from operational duties and we are making a voluntary referral of our policing response to the Independent Office of Police Conduct.”

Firearms officers had been called to the airport at about 20:25 BST on Tuesday after reports of an altercation by members of the public, a police spokesman said.

Three officers were “punched to the ground” in a “violent assault” when they attempted to arrest one of the suspects, he added.

“As the attending officers were firearms officers, there was a clear risk during this assault of their firearms being taken from them.”

Two men were arrested on suspicion of assault, assault of emergency worker, affray, and obstructing police, while two other men were also arrested on suspicion of affray and assault of an emergency worker, police confirmed.

Three officers were taken to hospital for treatment, with one of them suffering a broken nose.

Amar Minhas from Leeds was coming through arrivals when he saw the scene unfold.

He told the BBC police had approached one of the men, in his early 20s, and told him he was a wanted man, before “they pinned him up against a wall”.

Another man then “started on the police” and a fight ensued, he said.

The man who was being pinned against the wall started “throwing punches, he was Tasered, and fell to the floor”, Mr Minhas said.

“That’s when the policeman kicked him”.

Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson posted on X: “I am aware of disturbing footage from an incident at Manchester Airport this afternoon and understand the public concern it has prompted.

“I have asked for a full update from Greater Manchester Police.”