All footage from the incident at Manchester Airport where a police officer kicked and stamped on a man’s head should be retained, a lawyer representing the family has said.
Solicitor Aamer Anwar alleged during a news conference on Tuesday that an “incomplete series of events” had been portrayed two weeks since the incident at Terminal 2 on 23 July.
Speaking alongside Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, his brother Muhammad Amaad and their mother Shameem Akhtar, Mr Anwar said the family had been subject to “horrific racist and Islamophobic abuse on social media” in the aftermath of the altercation.
In extensive detail, Mr Anwar provided the family’s version of events, including what allegedly happened to spark the incident during a Qatar Airways flight which Ms Akhtar was on.
Video footage released from the incident showed 19-year-old Mr Amaaz being struck while lying face down on the floor. His brother Muhammad Amaad, 25, was also arrested during the incident.
The video led to an angry response, with around 200 protesters gathering outside Rochdale Police Station, some shouting “GMP shame on you!”
Last month, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed an officer had been advised he was under criminal investigation for assault.
A decision will then be made on whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service and whether the officer involved should face disciplinary proceedings.
Further footage allegedly showing the moments before Mr Amaaz’s arrest near a ticket machine at Manchester Airport was later released.
GMP said at the time it was responding to reports of an assault.
What allegedly happened on the Qatar Airways flight?
Mr Anwar claimed the alleged cause of the incident occurred when Ms Akhtar started to feel ill when travelling back from Pakistan on a Qatar Airways flight. The solicitor said after she used an empty seat to make herself more comfortable, she could hear “a male muttering in the row behind her”.
“The male then went out of his way over the next few hours to subject her to a tirade of alleged racial abuse,” Mr Anwar claimed, adding that the male also allegedly used his hand luggage to hit Ms Akhtar’s hand luggage once they had left the plane.
What do we know about the Manchester Airport incident?
He added: “As soon as she [Ms Akhtar] exited at the arrivals, she saw her two sons and six-year-old grandson waiting for her, she broke down in tears and told what had happened to her over the last several hours.”
Mr Anwar continued to say that when exiting the terminal, Ms Akhtar recognised the male passenger at a Starbucks and “froze”. Both sons “approached the male and questioned him regarding the abuse… and an altercation took place”.
The family then left and headed towards the airport car park, where Mr Amaaz was approached by three officers, the solicitor said.
Mr Anwar said on 30 July, Ms Akhtar was offered an interview by GMP after his office raised concerns they had failed to investigate the alleged hate crime against her.
He was told a few days later by the force that after an investigation, there was “insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction” and the male passenger in question was allowed to return to Qatar.
Mr Anwar added that the “leaked footage” of the incident that occurred next “was released by GMP to justify alleged criminality by their officers”. He claimed the release of the footage can only be seen as a “deliberate attempt to interfere with the IOPC investigation”.
Angry protests took place outside Rochdale police station after footage of the incident was released
He said the “footage does not show exactly what the police did, how the incident began or the full conduct of officers in the aftermath of the incident, including after the arrest”.
Addressing comments made by the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, in which he said he had viewed all the available CCTV footage and said there were “issues on both sides,” Mr Anwar said the family should have been the first to have been given the opportunity to view the footage.
Requesting for all available footage to be retained, he also said the family are seeking to meet with Mr Burnham and intend to meet with the director of the IOPC to speak about launching a formal complaint against officers within GMP.
Shameem Akhtar, with her son, Muhammad Amaad called for calm from the community. Pic: PA
Greater Manchester Police said in response to the allegations set out in the news conference that its investigations into the incidents at Manchester Airport are ongoing.
It said it is “fully cooperating with the independent investigation reviewing police conduct, whilst actively pursuing lines of inquiry into three incidents”.
The first incident is believed to be the alleged altercation between passengers from a Qatar Airways flight, the second the alleged altercation involving members of the public in Starbucks and the third the alleged assault of three police officers – including a female constable who received a broken nose.
“We have obtained all relevant CCTV footage and are continuing to appeal for witnesses,” the force said.
Calling for calm within the community, Mr Anwar said the family are launching a public appeal for individuals to remain calm and will not tolerate further demonstrations outside police stations.
Read more:
Manchester Airport officer will have to justify his actions
Criminal investigation into officer over airport incident
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“Police have had enough to deal with,” he said, having earlier mentioned the far right protests which have occurred across the country since the mass stabbing in Southport last week.
Sky News has contacted Mr Bunham and the IOPC for comment.
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