A constable is to face a criminal investigation for assault over an attack which saw a man kicked and stamped on at Manchester Airport, the police watchdog has said.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was arranging to interview the Greater Manchester Police officer under criminal caution “as soon as possible” over the alleged assault on Tuesday.
The officer was suspended by the force on Thursday, after footage of a confrontation between police and two men inside Terminal 2 was widely shared on social media.
The IOPC’s Catherine Bates said she had met with “one of the men who was involved and his family members” and would be speaking to the other man as soon as possible.
She said investigators were continuing to gather evidence and had already secured a “significant amount of body worn video and CCTV footage”.
The watchdog said the officer had also been served with a disciplinary notice in regards to “potential gross misconduct for a number of alleged breaches of police professional standards including his use of force”.
A representative said the “serving of notices” did not “necessarily mean criminal charges will follow”.
“At the end of our investigation, we will decide whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision and decide whether the officer should face disciplinary proceedings,” they added.
The footage shared online showed a man being kicked and stamped on by an officer as he lay prone on the floor.
Following the incident, Greater Manchester Police said firearms officers had been “violently attacked” in a parking area after trying to make an arrest at about 20:30 BST.
The force said three officers had been taken to hospital, one of whom had suffered a broken nose.
Four men, aged 19, 25, 28 and 31, were arrested on suspicion of assault and affray and had since been bailed.
A number of peaceful protests have taken place following the incident.
On Wednesday, crowds gathered outside Rochdale police station and chanted “shame on you”, while roads and tram lines were blocked by demonstrators in Manchester city centre on Thursday.
Earlier, Paul Waugh, the MP for the two men’s home town of Rochdale, said their “traumatised” family had appealed for “calm in all the communities”.
Ms Bates said the family had asked her to “reiterate their call for peace” and wanted to “stress that they do not condone any acts of violence as a result of this incident”.
“We are meeting with a number of community leaders in Rochdale this afternoon to listen to their concerns and explain our role,” she added.
The watchdog previously said it was also investigating the use of an incapacitant spray during the incident.
