British police filmed stamping on man's head at airport

Uniformed male officer is seen striking victim who is lying face down twice.

In Summary
  • Firearms officers had been called to the airport 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.

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”, which is being looked into by its professionals standards directorate.

'Throwing punches'

Firearms officers had been called to the airport 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."

Four men were arrested at the scene for affray and assaulting emergency service workers.

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”.

WATCH: The latest news from around the World