Outrage after shocking footage shows police taser an unarmed black man in front of his young crying son

Footage of a shocking incident in Greater Manchester emerged early Friday morning.

The video, which was posted on Twitter, shows police officers ordering a seemingly unarmed black man to put his hands behind his back while he’s on the floor at a petrol station, before tasering him.

The footage also shows his child nearby, being carried away by another officer. The Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has since said that it will be asking the police watchdog to investigate what happened during this incident.

Police said that they pulled over the man after they "observed a vehicle being driven unsafely at high speed" .They later confirmed that a taser was used during his arrest and said it had been voluntarily referred to the Independence Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The footage was shared widely on social media this morning, with many pointing out that the Greater Manchester Police took a long time to respond to questions about the footage and whether there would be any consequences for the officers involved.

Others pointed out the danger of using a taser near petrol and fuel, and asked why the police had done so near the man’s young child.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, has also called for a review about whether the use of a stun-gun was justified in this case, and said that he was “concerned”.

“But it is not at all clear that the level of force used in this instance, particularly in front of a child, was proportionate or justified and that is why I have asked for an urgent and independent review to be carried out,” he said.