We only kicked him in the head because there were no stairs to throw him down, insist police

Manchester Police have responded to the video of an officer kicking a man in the head while he was on the ground, by insisting it only happened because there were no convenient stairs to throw him down.

The video has gone viral on social media, with thousands of people angry at what they see as police brutality, with some even protesting at a station in Greater Manchester.

However, a police union spokesperson sought to defend the officers concerned, insisting their training is very strict when dealing with unruly suspects.

Simon Williams told us, “No officer ever got in trouble for explaining that a suspect tripped and fell down the stairs. It happens all the time. You’d be amazed how clumsy suspects can be sometimes. However, sometimes you find yourself in a position where there are no stairs readily available, and the suspect is still being a real pain in the arse.

“That’s when an officer needs to improvise, and sure, a kick to the head does the job, but it looks bad.

“We will, of course, be updating our training manuals to reflect this issue and make it clear that it is completely unacceptable for any officer to kick a suspect in the head if they’re already on the ground, when you have a camera on you.

“We do expect more of our officers. I mean, how difficult would it have been to have a quick look around to see if he was being filmed before kicking that guy in the head?

“I’m not sure if there is a disciplinary procedure for failure to spot cameras before administering a beating, but there should be.”

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