Footage of a Greater Manchester police officer dragging a homeless man across the ground in a sleeping bag has been branded “unacceptable” by police.
The video, filmed near Manchester Town Hall, shows police officers deliberately stamping on the man’s abdomen as he lay on the floor.
The 31-year-old man, who asked not to be named, told the media British Broadcasting Corporation He was injured as a result of the officer’s actions.
He said: “I told her I needed to sleep. But she put her foot on my stomach. This caused problems for me – I had a fever and over the next few hours I had Blood.”
He said he was forced to go to hospital after the incident but later recovered.
A GMP spokesman said in a statement: “The officer’s conduct fell below the standards we expect, particularly in respect of all members of the community, and the officer’s conduct has been addressed.”
“The officer responsible for the town center personally discussed the incident with the officer and made it clear that her behavior was unacceptable and must never be repeated. She, along with other staff, received refresher training on how to deal with similar situations in the future. “
GMP did not respond when asked by the Guardian whether the officer in the video faced further disciplinary action.
The homeless man, a refugee from Sudan, had been living in the UK for three and a half years and was granted residency.
He said rough sleepers were usually woken up by city officials every morning, but on the morning of the incident they “told them we had nowhere to go and it was cold”.
Homeless charity Shelter England said the behavior reflected wider hostility towards homeless people.
Polly Neate, chief executive of the shelter, said: “This is a heart-wrenching reminder of the abuse and cruelty people often face when sleeping rough on the streets.
“Sleeping rough is deeply unsafe for people who are constantly under threat of harassment and violence. No one would choose to spend the night shivering in a sleeping bag. But record high rents and the government’s failure to build enough social housing means More and more people are becoming homeless and more and more people are ending up on the streets.”
The Sudanese man in the video said he had received an apology from the police and was currently staying in his hotel room.
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