From Starbucks Assault to Police Takedown: Ward's Tale

On July 23, 2024, PC Lydia Ward, a petite Greater Manchester Police officer (5ft 2in, 8 stone), was seriously injured during a violent confrontation at Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2 car park. Ward, who joined the force in 2018 after serving as a special constable, was part of a three-officer team responding to reports of an assault at a Starbucks, where Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, allegedly headbutted a customer.

Ward and colleagues, PCs Zachary Marsden and Ellie Cook, approached Amaaz at a ticket machine. When they attempted to arrest him, Amaaz resisted, and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, intervened. The situation escalated rapidly, with the brothers allegedly inflicting “high levels of violence.” Ward was trying to restrain Amaaz when he punched her in the face, causing her to black out and fall. She suffered a broken nose.