Manchester ‘stamping’ video was ‘alarmingly violent’, says deputy mayor

We spoke to Kate Green, the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, who is responsible for policing and crime, about her reaction to the video.

Kate Green: Like everyone who’s seen the video circulating on social media, I was really distressed, disturbed. It looks very violent, both the kick to the head and the apparent stamping are something of huge concern to me, as I know they are to the public. The mayor and I have had the opportunity to see fuller video footage that shows how the incident began, and that it was an incident that quickly became violent and escalated very, very rapidly. And clearly, the full circumstances of how this matter unfolded is something that the independent watchdog will now rightly be investigating.

Jackie Long: The mayor today said earlier on ‘it’s not clear cut’, but what exactly did he mean by that? Because there is a danger in saying that, isn’t there, that he implies somehow kicking a man who is prone on the floor, stamping on his head, has some sort of justification?

Kate Green: I think what the mayor was explaining there was that this was a violent incident. It happened very, very quickly. And there were a number of elements to it, and the number of people involved in different, violent activities. And of course, we have to remember that the police, in first interacting with the gentlemen who’ve been arrested, were responding to a report of an earlier assault that had taken place elsewhere in the airport. Where the men that they were then meeting and apprehending in the car park had been identified as involved in that assault. So I think it’s a complex situation. It became a very fast moving, and I would say an alarmingly violent, situation and it’s important that those full circumstances are understood and investigated by the independent watchdog.

Jackie Long: The officer was suspended. There are many people who clearly feel he should have been arrested on the basis of what the footage shows, that here is an armed officer who has simply lost control.

Kate Green: What I can say is that the IOPC, the independent police watchdog, have the full powers to conduct a proper, criminally rigorous investigation and that is what they will do. It will be, obviously, a matter for them to investigate fully, for their findings to be carried forward and for appropriate action to be taken in relation to the officer.

Jackie Long: What is clearly critical is that any investigation is quick, isn’t it? The home secretary has said today that it must deliver quickly. What sort of timeframe is the mayor pressing the IOPC to deliver this investigation on, and can he press them for speed?

Kate Green: We all want to see the investigation carried out as quickly as possible. That’s obviously in the interests not just of the four men who were arrested, but also the officer who has been identified in the video involved in the kicking and the apparent stamping. The mayor has already spoken, as have I, to the regional director of the IOPC this afternoon, and we pressed her for the most speedy investigation possible. Obviously, the IOPC need time to gather all the facts, to speak to witnesses and assess the evidence. But it is in nobody’s interests for this to become a long, drawn out and protracted process, and I hope it will be concluded as quickly as possible.

Jackie Long: The family’s lawyer and former Met police officer Dal Babu are just some of the people who are arguing that this attack was motivated by racism. What do you say to those people on the basis of the information that you have?

Kate Green: There is real concern. I know widely that there could be a racist element to what has occurred, and I want to assure people that that most certainly will be an element of the IOPC’s investigation. And I think when people see the terms of reference of what it is that they are going to look at, that concern will be addressed in their investigatory process. It is really important that we have absolute clarity about whether there was any racism involved in what took place. We will not tolerate in Greater Manchester Police any racism and action will be taken if that is found to be the case. But it would be quite wrong for me or for anyone else to pre-empt the investigation and make that assumption, one way or the other.

Jackie Long: We’ve seen protests outside Rochdale police station last night. There are protests outside the mayor’s office as we speak. How tense would you say the situation is, and are you worried about it escalating?

Kate Green: I’m very pleased that both the protest last night and the protest this afternoon outside the mayor’s office have been peaceful, have been respectful and people have the right to protest peacefully. The mayor and I have always defended their right to do that. Of course, we are very concerned about the tensions that may exist and concerns that may exist rightly within the community. It’s why Greater Manchester Police and the mayor and I are proactively engaging with community members and community leaders. We’re very grateful for the support we’re getting from people in the community who are helping to broker conversations and ensure that people can have their concerns and voices heard. I very much hope there will be no escalation or further violence on our streets, and I’m really very proud that people in Greater Manchester have so far demonstrated their concerns peacefully.