A British police officer has described feeling "absolutely terrified" after she was punched in the face during a violent incident at Manchester Airport, according to Sky News. PC Lydia Ward suffered a broken nose and was left with blood streaming down her face.
The incident happened in July 2024 when officers tried to arrest Mohammed Fahir Amaaz at a Starbucks inside the airport. He was suspected of headbutting another man. During the arrest attempt, Amaaz resisted, and a fight broke out involving his brother, Muhammad Amaad, and police officers.
Bodycam footage shown in court captured the moment of the assault and the chaos that followed. PC Ward told the court that Amaaz began to resist and tense up as officers attempted to escort him outside, as per the news portal.
"Things escalated very quickly. It just went from nought to a hundred," she told Liverpool Crown Court.
She said she had Amaaz's arm behind his back when he began kicking out at PC Marsden and then "punched me straight in the face".
"I can't really remember where it landed but I know where my injuries were. I remember falling on the floor and everything went black," she said.
The officer, who said she was "petite" and weighed eight stone, told the court it was the first time such violence had been used against her.
"As I came round, all I could feel was blood pouring out of my nose," said PC Ward.
"I was just thinking he has done something to my nose, face area, I didn't know what has happened."
The officer - who joined the force in 2018 after being a special constable - said she was "absolutely terrified".
"I didn't know who was going to come up at me next," she told the court. "I was scared of going after this male again and being punched in the face again."
She said other people in the car park pay area were filming on their phones and "shouting stuff".
"Nobody came to assist. I felt everyone in that room was against us," PC Ward added.
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