Greater Manchester Police has responded after footage emerged appearing to show an officer punching a man being arrested in Piccadilly Gardens. The force says the widely-shared clip 'does not show the full circumstances' and that two officers were injured moments earlier.
Two officers were taken to hospital - one with a suspected broken jaw and the other with concussion - after a man became violent during a drugs search, the force said.
Footage shows arrest
A 40-second video clip, widely shared on social media and seen by the Manchester Evening News, shows the moment the man was arrested on Saturday evening (September 5). From the start, the clip appears to show the suspect on his front on the ground as he is detained by an officer at Piccadilly Gardens.
The officer appears to throw three punches with his right hand towards the suspect's head, while using his other hand to hold the suspect's arm down, as he tries to place handcuffs on him. A woman can be heard shouting 'what you doing?', before a man can be heard to say: "Get off me neck."
After around 10 seconds, the officer then appears to throw a punch with his left hand towards the suspect's body, before he is joined by another officer. A man can be heard to say 'get off me head', while the first officer appears to place his leg against the suspect's head. The second officer can then be heard telling the suspect: "You're under arrest for police assault."
Force statement in full
The footage has been shared multiple times by various accounts on social media since Saturday evening. GMP says this clip only captures 'part of the incident', however.
The force says two officers on patrol had attempted to carry out a drug search on a man who turned violent against them. The pair were later taken to hospital, before the suspect was eventually arrested on two counts of Section 18 assault (grievous bodily harm).
GMP's statement in full says: "At around 6.50pm on Saturday, September 5, officers on foot patrol in Piccadilly Gardens approached a man in relation to a suspected drugs offence and have attempted to carry out a drug search. During the interaction, the man became violent and assaulted two officers.
"One officer suffered a suspected broken jaw and a second officer suffered concussion. Both officers were hospitalised. The man was subsequently detained and arrested on suspicion of two counts of Section 18 assault. The suspect was taken to hospital as a precaution but discharged back to police custody where he remains for questioning.
"We are aware of footage circulating on social media which captures only part of the incident. While we understand the footage may raise questions, it does not show the full circumstances officers were dealing with, including an assault on officers and the challenges presented by a large crowd gathering around the incident.
"The full circumstances of the incident, including all available footage, will be reviewed by our Professional Standards Directorate to ensure complete transparency. Further updates will be provided when appropriate."
