Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he ‘felt sick’ looking at the footage
One of the police officers involved in handcuffing murder victim Henry Nowak resigned from their position in the force following the his death last year.
The UK was left shocked after the 18-year-old student was killed by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa after a night out in Southampton back in December 2025.
Digwa was recently jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years behind bars, but protests have erupted across the UK due to the way in which police dealt with the matter.
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Digwa, who is Sikh, had claimed that he was racially abused by Nowak, which led police to handcuff the teenager in the immediate aftermath of his stabbing, with newly released footage only serving to anger the public more.
In the distressing body cam footage, Nowak can be heard saying ‘I’ve been stabbed’, to which an officer replies ‘don’t think you have mate’.
Even after he became unresponsive, police continued with the arrest, before an ambulance was eventually called to check on his welfare. But at this point it was too late for the ‘much-loved’ young man, leading to a ‘lifetime of loss’ for his grieving family.
Vickrum Digwa was told he had brought shame on his family and his religion during the trial (PA)
In an update, a spokesperson for Hampshire Police confirmed yesterday (2 June) that one of the officers involved in the case had resigned.
They said in a statement to LADbible: “Three of the officers are still serving, one officer has resigned. As the IOPC has confirmed, they are all being treated as witnesses, so not subject to any current restrictions.”
They added that the officer who resigned did so at the end of last year, and not as a result of this incident.
Although the family have urged that Henry’s death should not ‘be used to create further division, hatred or tension’, there was a huge protest organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson in Southampton earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said that he ‘felt sick’ watching the footage, and said that ‘serious questions’ need to be asked as an investigation into the matter begins.
Sir Keir said: “It is absolutely right that the IOPC are looking at this… There are clearly serious questions that need to be addressed, not least how accusations of racism informed the decision-making in this case.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also told the Commons that ‘we cannot allow this murder to turn communities against one another’, adding: “We condemn those who committed this heinous crime, not all those who share their faith or their ethnicity.”
Upsetting body cam footage shows Henry Nowak being handcuffed after he was stabbed, with him losing consciousness and dying just minutes later (PA/Hampshire Police)
IOPC Director Derrick Campbell also issued a statement after criminal proceedings came to an end earlier this week.
He said: “Our thoughts and sympathies remain with everyone affected by Henry Nowak’s tragic death. Our independent investigation into the contact Hampshire and Isle of Wight officers had with Mr Nowak immediately prior to his death on 4 December, including the use of handcuffs by officers and the first aid provided, remains ongoing.
“Our investigation began following a mandatory referral from the force, which we received the same day. We acknowledge that this case has raised questions about the actions of the attending officers and we are aware that a few minutes of police body worn footage has been issued by the force following the conclusion of criminal proceedings.
“As part of our ongoing investigation we are reviewing a large amount of police body worn footage, which we need to consider in context with other evidence we have obtained, including reviewing material presented during the murder trial, as we establish the full circumstances.
“Now that criminal proceedings have concluded, we are planning to meet with Mr Nowak’s family and provide them with updates about our investigation. The officers involved are currently being treated as witnesses, however as with all investigations, this is kept under review throughout.”