A shocking video has been obtained by the Guardian that appears to show police officers assaulting Ian Tomlinson from behind whilst he had his hands in his pockets and posed no threat. In the video, he is seen being hit in the legs by a police officer and then forcefully pushed to the ground.
After a period of time on the floor, he then gets up and stumbles off although it should perhaps also be noted that his walking at the start of the video before he is struck also seems slightly haphazard. He later collapsed and died of a heart attack.
Ian Tomlinson was a 47 year old newsagent in the City of London, and was apparently returning back to a hostel he lived in after finishing work. The video obtained by the Guardian will raise many questions about the police conduct on that day and will no doubt form an important part of the IPCC’s investigation into the matter.