- The now-viral video shows 18-year-old Henry Nowak repeatedly telling police, "I can't breathe", as he lies mortally wounded on a pavement on a residential street in the southern England coastal city of Southampton.
- The body camera footage showing British police putting handcuffs on a dying teenager -- after he was stabbed by an Indian-origin Sikh man who lied to police at the scene, claiming he had been the victim of a racist attack -- has sparked outrage across the United Kingdom over lapses in policing.
- The footage has been released by the police, with the permission of Nowak's family, after his attacker, Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 21 years in prison in the UK earlier this week.
- After Digwa's sentencing, hundreds protested the arrest outside a Southampton police station on Tuesday night, with some protesters shouting, "I can't breathe."
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was sickened by the video and highlighted questions about how accusations of racism informed the decision-making.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood rejected claims of different policing standards for different communities and urged Parliament to avoid letting the murder create division.
- The judge stated Digwa had a small kirpan but also had an 8-inch (21-centimetre) sheathed Sikh dagger that was the weapon used to kill Nowak.
- Police apologised to Nowak's family and acknowledged the lies told by Digwa had misled officers.
- But a UK court, earlier this week, determined that Digwa had lied about being the victim of racism.
- Judge William Mousley told Digwa that he didn't believe Nowak said anything racist to him.
The shocking release of body camera footage showing British police handcuffing 18-year-old Henry Nowak while he gasped, "I can't breathe," has incited public outrage across the UK. The teenager was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, 23, who falsely claimed to police he was the victim of a racist attack.13
In the now-viral video, Nowak can be seen lying mortally wounded on a street in Southampton. Following Digwa's recent sentencing to a life term in prison, protests erupted outside a police station where demonstrators chanted, "I can't breathe," demanding accountability from law enforcement.
The guilty verdict followed evidence suggesting Digwa lied about suffering from racism, a conclusion supported by Judge William Mousley, who stated, “I didn't believe Nowak said anything racist to him.” The police expressed remorse over the incident, stating that Digwa's misinformation misled their response.9
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the footage, voicing concern over policing practices and the implications of race in law enforcement decisions. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood countered, insisting no community faces differing policing standards and urged parliament members to avoid divisive rhetoric following this violent incident. The societal implications of this case reflect a deep-seated fear over knife crime and race relations in the UK.56
“The police footage showing Henry Nowak's final moments has drawn widespread condemnation and raised questions about policing accountability. Following the brutal incident, public protests erupted, further igniting debates around race and law enforcement practices in the UK.”
