UK Edition
A police officer who was filmed dragging a homeless man across the ground in a sleeping bag is to have her punishment reviewed.
The video of the Greater Manchester Police officer, which was filmed near the Town Hall, then shows her stepping on the man’s stomach as he lies on the pavement.
The force described the incident as unacceptable and said the officer had been given “refresher training”.
On Wednesday, Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said he had asked the force’s deputy chief constable to review whether the disciplinary action taken was appropriate.
Speaking at a police accountability meeting, he said: “Colleagues may have seen some troubling images of an interaction with a police officer and someone sleeping rough, I think a refugee.
“This was the first time the deputy mayor and I had seen the footage or were aware of the incident. It’s raised public concern, understandably so, and the question of if the disciplinary action taken by Greater Manchester Police was appropriate.
“I have asked the deputy chief constable to review if the decision-making was correct or if more was needed to be done.”
‘She stamped on my stomach’
The man, a refugee from Sudan, was sleeping outside along with a group of other homeless refugees. In an interview with BBC News, the 31-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he had been injured by the officer’s actions.
He said: “I was telling her I need to sleep. But she stamped on my stomach with her foot. It caused me problems – I had a fever, and in the following hours I had blood in my urine.”
The man said he had to go to hospital after the incident but recovered. He added that rough sleepers were usually woken by council officials every morning, but on the morning of the incident they “told them we had nowhere to go and that it was very cold”.
He has been in the UK for three and a half years and has been given the right to remain. He said he had now found accommodation and received an apology from the force.
Greater Manchester Police has been approached for comment.
‘Below the standards we expect’
In a previous statement, a spokesman for the force said: “The officer’s behaviour fell below the standards we expect, especially concerning respect for all members of the community, and the officer’s actions were dealt with.
“The superintendent responsible for the city centre personally discussed the incident with the officer and made it clear that her actions were unacceptable and must not be repeated. She, along with other employees, received refresher training on how to deal with similar situations in the future.”
Polly Neate, the chief executive of Shelter, said the incident was a “harrowing reminder” of the abusive and brutal treatment people faced while living on the streets.