Manchester Police has suspended the officer who kicked and stomped on the head of a detainee during an incident at the city's airport. The video of the assault went viral on social media and led to a protest against police violence on Wednesday outside the Rochdale police station.
The young man beaten and trampled has been identified as Fahir Khan, 19 years old. His lawyer, Akhmed Yakoob, claims that a medical review after the incident revealed that he has a brain cyst, possibly as a result of the blows to the head by the officer. The second man detained and pinned to the ground in the video is his older brother Amaad. The woman futilely interfering for them is likely their mother.
Manchester's Mayor, the Labour Party's Andy Burnham, has urged calm among the population ahead of planned protest actions for Thursday. The man trampled, identified as Fahir, appeared in another video on Thursday with his lawyer, Akhmed Yahoob, and another man, Amaad, also beaten by the officers in the same incident.
Dal Babu, former superintendent of Scotland Yard, stated that the use of force was "completely excessive" and pointed out a "racist component" due to the Arab origin of the two detainees. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) itself described the images captured in the video as "truly appalling."
Wasim Chaudhry, GMP's deputy commissioner, confirmed that the officer in the video has been automatically suspended from duty, although his identity was not disclosed. The other officers involved in the incident have voluntarily appeared before the Police Conduct Office, which has opened an investigation.
"The use of such force in an arrest is unusual and understandably creates alarm among the population," read a police statement. "We understand the concern and will meet with Greater Manchester residents and political representatives while an investigation into the incident is ongoing."
Police initially justified the intervention on Tuesday at Manchester Airport's Terminal 2, citing a fight between passengers where three officers were "subjected to a violent assault" (one of them, a woman, was hospitalized with a broken nose).
"The officers involved were carrying firearms, so there was a serious risk of their weapons being taken from them," read the initial official statement, confirming the arrest of four individuals for assaulting police and emergency services.
In the video recorded on a mobile phone, a police officer can be seen aiming an electric stun gun at one of the detainees, delivering a strong kick to the head, and then stepping on him on the ground amidst shouts from his colleagues to passersby: "Move!". The intervention of a woman, wearing a green hijab, did not deter the officer in question, while another officer also pinned a second detainee to the ground.
The Manchester Stand Up to Racism campaign called for a demonstration on Wednesday outside the Rochdale police station. Protests extended on Thursday to the Town Hall and prompted the intervention of Mayor Andy Burnham and prominent Labour MPs Paul Waugh and Lucy Powell, justifying "the great concern" of Manchester citizens.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper took action and demanded that Manchester police take "urgent steps" to regain citizens' trust. Cooper acknowledged the "widespread discomfort" caused by the video's dissemination and emphasized that citizens expect "the highest standards from those who ensure our security."