A police force has issued an apology after officers handcuffed a fatally injured man despite him telling them he had been stabbed. The incident has prompted Elon Musk to offer funding for a private prosecution against the force.
The trial of Vickrum Digwa for the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton heard that the teenager collapsed and subsequently died after suffering a fatal stab wound to the chest. The court was told that officers from Hampshire Constabulary handcuffed Mr Nowak after Digwa claimed he had been the victim of a racist attack by the victim.
The officers proceeded to arrest and handcuff Mr Nowak even though he repeatedly told them he had been stabbed. It was only when he collapsed and lost consciousness that officers began to provide first aid. Digwa was found guilty of murder by jurors on Thursday.
Independent Investigation Underway
The actions of the officers are now under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). US tech billionaire Elon Musk has said he is willing to fund a private prosecution against the force. In a post on X, Musk wrote: "Unconscionable. I am happy to fund a wrongful death lawsuit against these disgusting excuses for law enforcement. They damn well better have been fired."
Following the case, temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France apologised on behalf of the officers but said they were "lied to" and would have been unaware of Mr Nowak's injury, which he said would not have been obvious. He stated: "This is an absolutely tragic case and my sympathies are absolutely with Henry's family, his friends and his loved ones. I want to apologise, I want to say that I am sorry that Henry couldn't be saved that night. I'm sorry that he was handcuffed and arrested in the moments before he lost consciousness."
Officers Misled by Killer's Lies
Mr France explained that the officers did not immediately understand the situation due to delays in the emergency call and false information provided by Digwa. He said: "It's quite clear that officers didn't understand what had happened immediately... There had been a delay from those who chose eventually to call them. There were lies, lies from Henry's killer in that 999 phone call, further lies from his killer as officers arrived on scene. Despite Henry telling officers he had been stabbed, it took them some minutes to realise what had really happened. But within three minutes of that engagement with Henry, they were giving him first aid. They had taken the handcuffs off and they were giving them first aid."
He added that the force referred itself to the IOPC the following day and remains committed to acting on their findings. Regarding the fatal wound, he noted: "Henry's significant wound, the wound that was fatal, was deep and internal. The pathologist was clear in court, that it would have been hard to find. The bleeding was inside Henry's body. Sadly, there was nothing the officers could have done that night to save him."
Lessons to Be Learned
Mr France acknowledged that officers should always listen to someone who says they are injured and that the force will review its training, particularly first aid training, to improve responses. He did not confirm whether the force had received any notice of litigation but said: "We are absolutely open to any challenge or scrutiny that must come. Policing must be transparent, must be open. All I ask is that people consider all of the facts in the case."
The force has also engaged with Sikh and university communities regarding the carrying of kirpans, the ceremonial knife used in the attack. Mr France emphasised that the law is clear and that officers will take action against anyone breaching it, regardless of their community background.
An IOPC spokesman said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Henry Nowak's family and everyone affected by his death. We are independently investigating the contact Hampshire and Isle of Wight officers had with Mr Nowak prior to his death on December 4, including the use of handcuffs by officers and the first aid provided. Our investigation, which began following a mandatory referral from the force that we received the same day, remains ongoing and the officers involved are currently being treated as witnesses."
