This shocking footage appears to show a police officer repeatedly striking a suspect as he screams in pain and shouts ‘you’ve got the wrong guy’.
An investigation has been launched after the video emerged when officers were responding to a brawl outside Cringlewood Social Club in the Northern Moor area of Manchester.
The suspect was released without charge after mobile phone footage recorded him being arrested by officers shouting: ‘Put your legs in the f***ing van.’
Daniel Gibson says he is the person being arrested in the video and claims he was repeatedly hit in the legs before being put in the back of the police van.
The 20-year-old says he was trampled trying to break up the fight and ‘didn’t throw any punches’ during the brawl in the social club’s smoking area.
A man can be heard telling officers ‘you have got the wrong guy’ in the clip. Mr Gibson says that is his voice. A formal complaint has been made to Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
Daniel, who took pictures of the injuries he says he received during his arrest, said: ‘I had gone to the club with a few friends to watch the Liverpool versus Southampton game.
Daniel Gibson says he is the man being hit in the video and took pictures of these injuries as the police face investigation
‘Later, it kicked off in the smoking area. I did not throw any punches. That is proved by CCTV covering the smoking area which police obtained.
‘I was trying to break the fight up.’
Mr Gibson’s mother, 46-year-old Janet Hardy, 46, lives opposite the club.
Mr Gibson says he was trampled during the fight, which he claims he was trying to break up in the club’s smoking area
She said she came out to find her son on the floor after she went outside when she heard people fighting.
Mr Gibson said he went back to his mother’s house, before returning to the club to check his friends were okay.
‘I was on the floor being trampled on,’ he said. ‘My mother dragged me inside the house.
‘I went back outside because I was concerned about my mates. As I went out the police van screeched up.
‘I turned to go back into the house and two of officers grabbed me.
‘I was at the door of the van, handcuffed. My leg was trapped in the door and I couldn’t move it.
‘Then one officer started punching me in the legs. I was hit between four and six times.’
Mr Gibson, who said he was left with red marks and bruising, added: ‘It was painful when I was being hit, it went right to the bone. I thought it was disgusting.
‘I was taken to Cheadle Heath police station and kept until 12.30pm on Monday.
‘The police interviewed me and were going to charge me with affray. But the CCTV from the club showed I didn’t punch anyone and they released me.’
Mr Gibson took pictures of marks on his back, left, and on his leg, right, after saying an officer punched him four to six times
His mother said: ‘He has never been in trouble before. I have made a formal complaint.
‘When my son said they had the wrong guy, they just carried on.’
In a statement, GMP said: ‘On Tuesday, February 13, police received a complaint following the arrest of a man on Sunday, February 11 in Northern Moor.
‘An assessment by GMP’s Professional Standards Branch will be taking place and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.’
A GMP spokesman said the reason no further action was taken against Mr Gibson was because as there were no witnesses the case did not meet the threshold for it to be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision.