A British police officer was caught on video kicking a man in the head at Manchester Airport in an incident that has been condemned as an example of police brutality. Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the assault on the man occurred at the airport on Tuesday.

In a widely shared video, armed police officers can be seen aiming a Taser at a man lying on the ground before one officer begins to kick and stomp on the man’s head. An older woman attempts to shield the man, who remains on the ground, while none of the other officers intervene or reprimand the kicking officer. Instead, the other officers point their Tasers at a crowd of bystanders who are shouting at them to stop. Another man, who has his hands on his head, is then kicked and struck by the same officer as he apparently follows instructions to also lie on the ground.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Greater Manchester Police stated that the incident occurred after three officers were attacked during an arrest. “A female officer suffered a broken nose, and the other officers were forced to the ground and sustained injuries severe enough to require hospital treatment,” said the statement from Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry. The statement noted that one officer had been “removed from operational duties” and that the force is “voluntarily reviewing our policing practices with the Independent Office for Police Conduct.” It acknowledged that the event was “truly shocking” and an “unusual event that we understand causes concern,” but did not admonish the officer for his behavior.

Eyewitness Amir Minhas told the BBC that a man in his twenties was approached by the police and informed that he was wanted before being pushed against a wall. Another man then began to hit him before he was Tasered and fell to the ground. “That’s when the police officer kicked him,” Minhas said.

The incident has been met with disbelief from many quarters, with the UK’s Minister for Policing, Diana Johnson, requesting a “full update from Greater Manchester Police.” Others have used sharper language in their reactions. British union representative Howard Beckett described the assault as “the most brutal police attack on two men.” “Not in Tel Aviv. At Manchester Airport,” he wrote on social media, later adding that it involved “thugs in uniforms.” Claudia Webbe, a former Member of Parliament, described the incident as “a group of current police officers engaging in brutal violence.” “They call this policing by consent, building trust and confidence,” she added. “The victims are Muslims. Our silence guarantees police impunity. We cannot remain silent or be silenced.”

Meanwhile, former chief prosecutor Nasir Afzal stated that he saw “no justification for the kick to the head” and the rest of the attack, while local MP Afzal Khan described the incident as one where the police “seem to be using excessive force against an unarmed civilian.” Protesters have planned a demonstration against the attack on Thursday outside the office of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, where they will denounce the police as “racist” for their actions. Burnham has yet to comment on the incident.