Britain's Independent Office for Police Conduct confirmed an investigation into police actions after the fatal stabbing of student Henry Nowak, a development reported on the date of June 2, 2026. Body-camera footage released with his family's permission showed the 18-year-old telling officers that he had been stabbed and could not breathe while they restrained and handcuffed him.
Nowak was attacked in Southampton in 2025 by Vickrum Digwa, 23. Digwa falsely told officers at the scene that he had been the victim of a racist assault. Footage showed an officer initially expressing doubt when Nowak said he had been stabbed. Nowak suffered wounds to his legs and a fatal wound to his heart from a 21-centimetre blade.
Digwa was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. The Attorney General's Office received multiple requests to examine whether that sentence was unduly lenient. That review was separate from the IOPC inquiry, which concerned how police responded to Nowak at the scene.
Nowak's family called the treatment inhumane and degrading. His father, Mark, said his son told officers nine times that he could not breathe and four times that he had been stabbed. The family questioned why officers treated Digwa's account as credible while restraining the critically injured student. Hampshire police apologized for the handcuffing and arrest.
Deputy Chief Constable Robert France said officers began cardiopulmonary resuscitation within three minutes of engaging with Nowak. He cited trial evidence from a pathologist who said the internal bleeding was so extensive that officers could not have saved him. That medical assessment addressed whether intervention could have prevented the death; it did not determine whether the officers' decisions and treatment met professional standards.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called the footage disturbing and said the watchdog should establish the truth and any necessary consequences. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the recording raised serious questions for police. Political reactions also included disputed claims about race and policing, while Nowak's family asked that the focus remain on his treatment and death.
The watchdog had not announced findings or disciplinary outcomes as of the event date. Its ongoing inquiry was expected to examine why Nowak was handcuffed, how officers assessed his repeated statements, and the force's conduct during the medical emergency. Other proposed reviews concerned control-room culture, frontline knife-response training and the legal treatment of ceremonial blades. Those processes remained pending, and an investigation alone did not establish misconduct. The released recording provided evidence for scrutiny, while the watchdog retained responsibility for reaching formal conclusions.
