 "Viral Video: UK cop stamps on Pak national's head at airport, suspended")
A police officer in the United Kingdom was removed from frontline duty on Wednesday following widespread outrage over a video showing him brutally attacking a young man at Manchester Airport.
The incident, captured in an 18-second video that went viral on social media, shows the officer pointing a Taser at the victim and kicking him forcefully while he is on the ground. The video also shows the officer stamping on the man's head as he lies with his arms down, with a woman in a hijab kneeling beside him. The victim is reportedly a Pakistani national.
The viral footage sparked massive controversy over allegations of police brutality. A senior Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer labelled the incident as “truly shocking” and noted that the public was rightly extremely concerned about it.
Trigger Warning: The following content contains intense violence and may not be suitable for all viewers.
Incident occurred after cops tried to make arrests
GMP Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry added that the use of such force in an arrest is an unusual occurrence and the department understood the alarm it created among the public.
An official statement issued by the police said that the incident occurred on Tuesday evening at the airport's Terminal 2 after a fight allegedly broke out between some members of the public at 8:25 pm.
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One of the alleged suspects of the assault was spotted on CCTV in the car park where the officers went to arrest him. The GMP said that during the team’s response, three officers were violently assaulted. “One female officer suffered a broken nose and the other officers were forced to the ground and suffered injuries,” the statement read.
Four held, Manchester officer removed from duty
At least four people were arrested at the scene for assaulting emergency services workers. Following the incident, one male officer has been removed from operational duties.
Later, on Wednesday evening, several hundred people were spotted outside the GMP police station located in Rochdale, Manchester, to protest 'police brutality'. In a statement later, Officer Chaudhry noted that the protest 'concluded safely'.
Meanwhile, the GMP has referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which oversees complaints made against police forces, and will decide the future course of action on the incident.