Criminal investigation launched into police officer filmed kicking man in head

A criminal investigation has been launched into the police officer filmed kicking and stamping on a man at Manchester Airport.

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said it was investigating the officer caught on camera earlier this week.

A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer was suspended on Thursday after the footage was shared widely on social media.

It showed an officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man who was lying face down on the floor, with a woman kneeling beside him.

The officer was later filmed pepper-spraying another man before wrestling him to the ground.

Police said three of their officers had been assaulted in the incident, including a female constable who suffered a broken nose, and four men were arrested.

The video sparked two nights of protests outside Rochdale Police Station and Manchester city centre.

Mr Burnham previously urged people to remain calm in their response to the footage.

The mayor told the BBC that the full footage of the incident showed a "fast-moving and complicated" situation that was not "clear cut".

He added: "There are issues for both sides, but that said, it is right the officer has been suspended."

Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, said while there was "clearly deep concern", he warned against the issue being hijacked by extremists.

He pointed out that the family of the man who was kicked have also appealed for calm following protests that saw demonstrators blocking tram lines and roads in Manchester, adding that "they have no political agenda".

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