The family of a man seen in a video being kicked and stamped on by a police officer is “deeply traumatised”, their MP has said.
They were particularly shocked by what happened because some of their family members are police officers, according to Paul Waugh, who was recently elected to the Rochdale seat.
But the Labour MP said while there was “clearly deep concern” about footage shot at Manchester Airport on Tuesday, he warned against the issue being hijacked by extremists.
He pointed out the family had appealed for calm following protests that saw demonstrators blocking tram lines and roads in the city.
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, including a female constable who suffered a broken nose, and four men were arrested.
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MP says family want to ‘appeal for calm’
Rochdale MP Mr Waugh said: “It is clear they [the family] are deeply traumatised by what happened.”
He added: “This is a hardworking Rochdale family, some of whose members are police officers themselves, and are therefore particularly shocked at what they have witnessed.
“The family also want me to make it crystal clear that they have no political agenda, do not condone political violence and do not want to take part in any protests.
“They wanted me to appeal for calm and I hope that appeal is heeded.
“While there is clearly deep concern about this incident, there is also a vital need not to let extremists of any kind hijack these events for their own ends.”
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, who met with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss the incident, also urged people to remain calm in their response to the footage.
Mr Burnham 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.”
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Man ‘has cyst on his brain’ after clash with police
Akhmed Yakoob, a solicitor representing the family of the man kicked in the footage, also said yesterday that they were “okay” but “traumatised”.
Speaking to media outside Rochdale police station, Mr Yakoob said the condition of one of the men had worsened, adding that a CT scan revealed a “cyst on his brain”.
He added: “The main concern for us, for me, is that the family receive justice and this no longer happens again.”
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Catherine Bates, the regional director of police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), promised a “thorough and robust” independent investigation and said body-worn video and CCTV footage had been secured.
She said: “We have met with members of the first man’s family today, some of whom were present during the incident, to explain our role and to listen to their concerns. We will keep them updated as our investigation continues.
“We will ensure a robust investigation, independent of police, is carried out to investigate the circumstances that led up to and during the incident at terminal two.
“We know many people have serious questions about what happened and we will work to provide those answers as quickly as we can.”
After meeting with the force and Mr Burnham on Thursday, the home secretary welcomed the investigation and said: “I share the deep concern surrounding the video and understand the widespread distress it will have caused.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also said he had seen the video and said: “I understand that concern.”
