'He was shouting "I can't breathe"': Mother of black man, 28, speaks out after he was arrested while 100 bystanders 'pushed and kicked' police amid George Floyd protests across UK

• e-mail

The mother of a black man who was arrested in Manchester while 100 bystanders 'pushed and kicked' police has claimed her son shouted 'I can't breathe' as five officers held him down.   

The suspect, 28, screamed 'I can't breathe' as he was arrested in front of his seven-year-old daughter in Moss Side on May 28, witnesses said. 

His mother, 46, known only as Michelle, said 'I thought they were going to kill him' after at least five policemen reportedly 'jumped him' after he left his car on Greame Street. 

The unidentified man's arrest drew a 'hostile' crowd of more then 100 people, Greater Manchester Police said, some of whom interfered with the arrest by 'pushing and kicking at officers without the knowledge of what had occurred beforehand'.     

Of these, at least 10 who 'at best could be described as hostile' surrounded officers. 

'He was shouting "I can't breathe" as the police were on top of him,' Michelle told MailOnline. 'His daughter saw it all and she was terrified. 

A mob of 100 people reportedly 'pushed and kicked' at police officers as they attempted to arrest a drugs suspect, 28, on Greame Street (pictured), Manchester

'I thought they were going to kill him. I told them: "You are acting like the police in America".

'They were so aggressive - he is my only boy so I was so scared for him.'

Another onlooker claimed a police officer had his foot on the suspect's arm, as bystanders reportedly shouted at police to get off him.

Those who gathered on the street were said to have shouted 'you are not letting him breathe' and 'I saw officers stamp on his neck' as police attempted to detain the driver of a car 'linked to drugs' last Thursday.

But police in Manchester insisted the 28-year-old was 'sat up on the ground' at the time the remarks were made, and he only suffered a grazed elbow.  

The force added police body-cam footage of the arrest had been reviewed by senior officers and IAG members, who agreed the actions of the officers were reasonable.

GMP added that the suspect was restrained as he was resisting arrest, but was 'safely restrained within seconds and brought up to a sitting position.'  

The incident came amid rising tensions over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota last Monday, who was killed after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.  

Suggesting a potential link between the death of Mr Floyd and the incident in a statement released yesterday, Greater Manchester Police said: 'The recent footage of the incident in USA... has clearly raised tensions in the community.'  

Police were attacked by George Floyd protesters at a demonstration in London yesterday  

Mr Floyd, an unarmed black man, had gasped 'I can't breathe' while white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck outside a convenience store in Minneapolis days before the Moss Side incident.

The 46-year-old father's death set off the biggest anti-racism protests seen in the United States since the 1960s civil rights era. 

It also sparked outrage across the globe, with solidarity protests taking place in the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Denmark, Germany and London. 

According to the 2011 census, Moss Side's largest ethnic minority group is African - making up 17 per cent of the population.  

The ward, which is the most diverse in Manchester, was hit by 48 hours of rioting and looting in 1981 after allegations police were using excessive force against black youths.   

Following the gathering in Manchester last Thursday, GMP sent an email to local community groups setting out a timeline of events.

Police said officers from GMP's Moss Side and Hulme neighbourhood team noticed a vehicle parked on Cowesby Street with two people inside at 8.20pm.

Moments earlier, the vehicle was seen 'driving at a very high speed' in Hulme, they said.

Officers then tried to 'engage' with the driver and passenger, but the pair refused and the car windows were shut. 

The vehicle was 'linked to drugs' on GMP's intelligence system and the people inside 'appeared to be concealing items', police added, although 'it was difficult to see due to the car having illegally tinted windows to the front'. 

The occupants of the car refused to leave the vehicle after being told they were being detained under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Pictured: Cowesby Street, where the suspect was first spotted in a car 'linked to drugs' last Thursday

Officers tried to get inside the car, before it rammed a police vehicle and attempted to drive away, the statement added.

Police gave chase, and the passenger escaped the vehicle during the pursuit, before it eventually came to a stop on Greame Street.

The driver then resisted arrest as a large crowd gathered around the officers, the statement added.

An unnamed GMP officer said: 'I can understand our communities' concerns and have no issues with them witnessing the detention/arrest or filming the incident, but in this incident they were interfering with the arrest of the driver.

'There was a large police presence due to a backup call being made, but as soon as the prisoner and vehicles were removed, police withdrew from the area to assist removing some of the tension.

'This area of Moss Side has recently seen several large gatherings and we have been engaging with the community, but unfortunately the recent events elsewhere have clearly added to tensions.' 

The arrest, which is understood to have been filmed by onlookers, was also captured by police body cameras.   

The 28-year-old was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, obstructing police and assault whilst resisting arrest. 

He has been released under investigation.

Police are not looking to prosecute any other person at the scene during the incident. 

Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.