Outside the Southampton police station, a significant crowd of demonstrators has assembled following the release of controversial footage involving the arrest of Henry Nowak.
Sir Keir Starmer expressed deep discomfort after viewing the bodycam video of the 18-year-old Nowak, who was handcuffed and visibly distressed after being fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in December. Starmer remarked that the footage left him feeling “sick.”
The video captured Nowak pleading with officers, repeatedly asserting, “I’ve been stabbed,” to which an officer dismissively responded, “I don’t think you have, mate.”
Tragically, Nowak passed away shortly after the incident, and the video’s release, coinciding with Digwa’s sentencing to life imprisonment with a minimum of 21 years, has ignited public outrage.
In a social media video on Tuesday, activist Tommy Robinson condemned the footage as “horrific” and urged his followers to join a protest at the Southampton police station that evening.
Protestors heeded the call, gathering in substantial numbers and waving Union Jack flags as they converged on the station just before 6 p.m., with scenes shared widely online.
Some held placards reading ‘Save our kids’ as others paraded pictures of Mr Nowak while repeatedly chanting: ‘I can’t breathe’.
Footage also appeared to show furious demonstrators trying to storm the station while directing shouts of ‘shame on you’ at dozens of officers forming a blockade.
Meanwhile some protesters donned T-shirts paying tribute to the teen reading: ‘RIP Henry Nowak’.
Hundreds of protesters have descended upon Southampton police station over the footage of Henry Nowak’s arrest
Demonstrators later began a march through the centre of Southampton while chanting ‘I can’t breathe’
It came after activist Tommy Robinson (pictured) announced he would be in attendance in a video posted to social media
Mr Nowak was a finance student at the University of Southampton and was described as ‘kind and talented’ by his family
The group later marched in their swathes from Southampton station to Portswood police station, close to where Mr Nowak was killed.
One protestor, Jamie Smith, said: ‘I am here for Henry. I saw the video online when he was handcuffed and dragged on the floor after being stabbed and I want police to be held accountable.
‘It angers me seeing them stood there in uniform. We don’t want trouble but emotions are high.’
An elderly woman said: ‘It just scary that this sort of thing happens on our doorsteps.
‘The police should be held accountable for it. The boy was dying and they did nothing to help him.’
The march came after it emerged that an officer at Hampshire Police involved in the case had resigned from his post, the force confirmed.
Three of the officers are still serving while all four are being treated as witnesses in an investigation being carried out by a police watchdog.
Sikh killer Digwa, who did not know his victim, was yesterday jailed for life for stabbing the student with an eight-inch ceremonial blade he had been carrying.
At the scene, Digwa told a ‘wicked lie’ to officers that Mr Nowak had racially abused him and knocked off his turban.
During a hearing, Judge William Mousley KC said he was ‘sure’ this was not the case.
In a statement released today, the PM warned police have to face ‘serious questions’ over their treatment of the teen before adding ‘it is absolutely right’ that the watchdog is investigating how officers handled the case.
A different police officer previously received death threats and was ‘forced to relocate’ after being wrongly identified online as being involved in the murder case, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said today.
Giving a statement in the House of Commons, Ms Mahmood warned of a ‘dangerous undercurrent’ of threats against the police.
She continued: ‘Threats against police officers are utterly unacceptable. There can be no justification for intimidation, abuse or attempts to take the law into one’s own hands.
‘A police officer unrelated to this case has been misidentified online and subjected to death threats. He has been forced to relocate to protect himself and his family.
‘Misinformation and inflammatory commentary is making a dreadful situation even worse. We must all, together, condemn it.’
She added that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will report on the case within three months.
Some members of the crowd carried banners reading ‘Save our kids’ while others paraded Union Jacks with the words ‘Unite the Kingdom’
Within an hour the size of the crowd grew to hundreds
And footage appeared to show protestors trying to storm the station as officers formed a blockade outside
Digwa is now facing additional charges of owning six offensive weapons while his brother, 27-year-old Gurpreet Digwa, and his father, 52-year-old Moga Singh, have also been charged with possessing illegal weapons at the family home.
They appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday along with Vickrum and were released on unconditional bail. Vickrum is now in prison.
His mother, Kiran Kaur, awaits sentencing for assisting an offender by taking the knife used to kill the 18-year-old back to the nearby family home.
The 53-year-old will be sentenced on July 17.
Reflecting on the horrifying murder, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Mr Nowak was ‘treated in a way that meant an accusation of a racial slur was treated more seriously than an act of murder’.
Mr Farage called for ‘pure cold rage’ over the case, which has also been widely criticised after he claimed it suggests a ‘two tier’ approach to policing in the UK.
Mr Nowak’s father Mark, speaking after Digwa was sentenced on Monday, said: ‘We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension.’
Earlier, a spokesperson for Hampshire Police Federation said: ‘The murder of Henry Nowak was a tragedy, our thoughts are with his family and friends.
‘The officers’ actions that night are subject to rigorous independent scrutiny and we must let that process run its course.
‘The Police Federation condemns in the strongest possible terms the calls for mob or vigilante justice against officers we have seen in recent days.
‘That has included police officers being wrongly identified as being involved in the incident and personal details such as home address being widely published.
Vickrum Digwa, 23, was yesterday jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years for the killing of Mr Nowak
‘We call on politicians of all parties and media commentators to be more responsible in their comments – and allow due process for the officers involved to ensue.
‘As a staff association we are supporting all Hampshire Police officers and we urge all our members to take appropriate action online and offline to stay safe.’
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has apologised for arresting Mr Nowak minutes before his death.
IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said today: ‘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.’
