Two men have been charged after a disturbance at Manchester Airport in July. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charged two men with assaults on police officers today (December 20).
Mohammed Amaaz, 20, has been charged with two offences of causing actual bodily harm, one charge of assaulting an emergency worker and one charge of common assault.
Muhammed Amaad, 25, faces a charge of causing actual bodily harm, and no police officers will be charged, according to the CPS. The two defendants will appear at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on January 16.
Footage of a fracas went viral online in July and prompted protests after it appeared to show a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man as he lay on the floor.
The altercation in the airport's Terminal Two allegedly happened after an earlier confrontation between passengers on a Qatar Airways flight which arrived at 7.20pm on July 23.
GMP Chief Constable Stephen Watson welcomed the decision to charge the two men. He said: "I welcome today’s decisions from the Crown Prosecution Service to charge two men with assaults on our officers and a member of the public at Manchester Airport earlier this year."
Ch Cons Watson also welcomed the CPS's decision to take no further criminal action against serving officers, adding: "I appreciate that a full and thorough independent investigation has led to this outcome."
He confirmed that after the decision, the force lifted the suspension of the officer involved and that the Independent Office for Police Conduct's misconduct investigation continued. Mr Watson said GMP will continue to cooperate fully with the IOPC's probe.
The top cop said: "Whilst cooperating fully with the IOPC in the discharge of their independent investigation into the conduct of our officers, GMP has offered support to our officers and will continue to do in the coming months.
"I know these matters have understandably generated a great deal of debate, scrutiny and speculation. We now have specific charging decisions and the court proceedings must be allowed to progress without the prejudice or taint that can emerge as a result of misplaced commentary, speculation or the sharing of digital content."
Frank Ferguson, Head of the CPS's Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said the incident was "high profile" and attracted significant public interest and media coverage.
He added that the CPS has reviewed all available evidence, including witness statements, video footage, expert reports, and other material related to police use of force.
Mr Ferguson said the CPS made an "independent and objective assessment" as to whether it was appropriate to present charges for the court to consider.
He said: "Based on a careful consideration of this evidence, we have concluded that two men should be charged with offences including assaults on police officers."
Mr Ferguson said the CPS concluded no charges should be brought against any officers after examining potential offences of actual bodily harm and common assault.
The CPS also reviewed an independent report from an expert in using police force to inform its decision.
He said: "We always ensure police training is also taken into account in the context of these decisions, and in this case, the combination of evidence and the expert opinion meant there was no realistic prospect of conviction.
"We acknowledge that in this case, as in any other, the strength of feeling has been high.
"Our specially trained prosecutors are often at the forefront of dealing with high-profile cases subject to intense public and media scrutiny and will always make independent and objective decisions based on all available evidence."
Mr Ferguson also cautioned that criminal proceedings are now active and that each defendant has the right to a fair trial.
He concluded: "It is extremely important that there be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."
The IOPC said its investigation into the use of force by police on six people was nearing completion.
It said two officers had been interviewed under criminal caution in relation to alleged assaults as part of its investigation and information had been shared with the CPS.
A spokesman said: "On Monday, we shared the final such piece of evidence with the CPS to consider potential charges.
"We will now work to conclude the few remaining lines of inquiry as quickly as possible.
"At that point, we will decide whether anyone serving with GMP should face disciplinary proceedings, and we will reach a decision on a series of complaints raised by six members of the public in relation to the incident."
