Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has issued an appeal for calm after two days of incidents following the release of a video which appeared to show a police officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man at Manchester Airport
Burnham told a City Centre press conference that after a difficult week it is time to move forward –
“What people don’t want is politicians without the facts exploiting the situation for their own agenda”
With the news that the IOPC have opened a criminal investigation he added that This is a complicated matter and people should not jump to conclusions
The investigation should be allowed to proceed now and people shouldn’t be second guessing what happened
Admitting that he has seen footage of the incident that had not been public ally shown he said that while some people think that they know all of the circumstances “I can assure you that they don’t
The Mayor along with the Deputy Mayor had spent the morning talking to the community in Rochdale and they also amplified his message for an appeal for calm
Meanwhile Chief Constable Stephen Watson in his first statement since the incident said:
“It is a source of profound regret that this week’s incident at Manchester Airport has caused shock and upset in some of our communities. Throughout this week, senior officers have been meeting with community representatives to ensure their voices are heard and this will continue – we are at one with the best instincts of those engaged in appealing for calm.
“Whilst we are constrained in publicly releasing further information or footage about the incident due to the conduct and criminal investigations, we are committed to providing the fullest practical assistance to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”
