The officers who arrested 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak before he died from multiple stab wounds are under investigation for possible gross misconduct, with the police watchdog also examining whether race or religion influenced their actions.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) alleges the first officers at the scene may have failed to recognise Henry required urgent medical care after he repeatedly said he had been stabbed and could not breathe. Instead of providing immediate first aid, they arrested and handcuffed him, with one officer reportedly dismissing his pleas by replying, “Don’t think you have, mate.”
The inquiry will also consider whether concerns about community tensions or assumptions linked to ethnicity affected the officers’ decisions, following complaints from Henry’s family that his treatment differed markedly from that of his killer, Vickrum Digwa. Digwa, who falsely claimed Henry had racially abused him during his arrest, was never handcuffed during four days in custody despite being detained on suspicion of attempted murder and has since been sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison. Hampshire Police said it is fully cooperating, while the officers remain away from frontline duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
