Police chief apologises over Henry Nowak arrest

Hampshire’s police chief has apologised to Henry Nowak’s family after bodycam footage showed officers handcuffing and arresting the 18-year-old student as he lay dying from stab wounds.

Chief Constable Alexis Boon of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary told the BBC he was “distressed” by the footage, which showed Nowak repeatedly telling officers he had been stabbed and could not breathe. Police arrested him after his killer, 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, falsely claimed Nowak had racially abused him.

Asked what he would say to the family, Boon said: “I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through this.” He repeated an apology on behalf of the force for the way Nowak had been handcuffed and arrested.

Digwa was sentenced on Monday to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder, which happened on Dec. 3 as Nowak walked home after a night out with his football teammates. The BBC reported that Nowak was stabbed four times; Al Jazeera reported that the court found Digwa stabbed him five times. Digwa then falsely claimed he had been the victim of a racist assault.

Bodycam video released after sentencing showed officers initially treating Nowak as a suspect. In the footage, one officer tells him, “I don’t think you have mate,” after he says he has been stabbed. Nowak was handcuffed and repeatedly said, “I can’t breathe,” before dying at the scene.

Nowak’s father, Mark Nowak, said after sentencing that the family would carry their grief “every single day for the rest of their lives.” He described his son’s treatment by police as “inhumane and degrading” and “unbearable” when compared with the treatment of his killer. But he added: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We want his story to help make our streets safer for everyone.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is reviewing the actions of officers from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. Boon said he would not pre-judge the outcome of that investigation and said he would not resign. He confirmed one officer seen in the bodycam footage has since left the force for an unrelated reason and three others are no longer on front-line duties. Hampshire Police said Tuesday that one officer involved in the arrest had resigned and three others were being treated as witnesses in the investigation.

“What was filmed there is a tragedy, an absolute tragedy,” Boon said. “You can’t help but be affected by it. It’s very difficult to watch. I really feel for the family of Henry at this time.”

The case has prompted political reaction and debate over policing. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was sickened by the video and that questions needed to be answered about how “accusations of racism informed the decision-making in this case.” Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said there had been “multiple failures,” while shadow home secretary Chris Philp told the Commons that police appeared more concerned with the racism allegation than “helping Henry.”

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the case an example of “two-tier policing” and urged people to respond with “pure cold rage.” Starmer accused him of exploiting the death to create “grievance and division.” Boon said he did not recognise the term, saying he saw officers “day in, day out” serving all communities.

Violent protests broke out Tuesday in Southampton, where Nowak was killed. Al Jazeera reported that hundreds of people threw chairs, cans, rocks and flares at police; two people were arrested, and 11 officers and a police dog were injured. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned the violence as “completely unacceptable,” saying protesters had hijacked a tragedy to attack police.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council is reviewing whether its anti-racism commitments and guidance need changing. Digwa’s mother, Kiran Jaur, 53, was also found guilty of assisting an offender after trying to hide the murder weapon. According to Al Jazeera, the judge said Digwa had a small kirpan but used an 8-inch sheathed Sikh dagger to kill Nowak.