Hampshire Police has been heavily criticised after officers restrained Henry Nowak, 18, as he bled to death from knife wounds while his killer Vickrum Digwa watched on
Henry Nowak was restrained and arrested while dying
The officers involved in handcuffing a dying teenager are not currently being investigated for misconduct – but one has quit.
Hampshire Police has been heavily criticised after officers handcuffed Henry Nowak, 18, as he bled to death from knife wounds while his killer Vickrum Digwa watched on. Today, the force confirmed the resignation of one of the officers involved.
The Southampton student was restrained after Digwa, 23, lied to police at the scene of the stabbing last December, claiming he had been the victim of a racist attack.
Footage released by the force, with permission from Henry’s family, shows him pleading “I’ve been stabbed” and an officer replying “I don’t think you have mate”.
Henry suffered stab wounds to his legs and a fatal wound to his heart from a 8in blade that Digwa said he carried as part of his Sikh faith. Watchdog investigators will meet Henry’s family in the coming weeks amid outrage over his treatment.
A spokesman for the Independent Office for Police Conduct said none of the officers involved in the incident have so far been referred for a smisconduct investigation but the probe remains ongoing.
The case was automatically referred to the IOPC as a Death of Serious Injury case as is mandatory if someone dies or sustains serious injury during or following contact with the police. It understood that no misconduct complaint has so far been made by the family.
A source said one female officer has left the force since the incident but she was not among the two who appear in the police body worn footage released on Monday. All the remaining officers involved are understood to still be carrying out frontline duties, the source said.
If any of the officers are referred for gross misconduct and are found guilty they could face losing their job.
In the footage, a male police officer arriving at the scene just after 11pm on December 13 can be heard asking: “What’s your name, mate?” Henry, who is lying on his back on the ground next to a car, faintly replies: “Henry.”
Digwa then claims that Henry had taken his turban off and grabbed him by the hair.
The male officer asks Digwa if he is injured, to which he replies: “Yeah, yeah, I’ve got a swollen eye here, a little bruise here.”
Meanwhile Henry can be heard repeating “I’ve been stabbed” and then “I can’t breathe”. He is made to sit up to be handcuffed behind his back.
The officer can be heard asking where Henry has been stabbed. He then adds: “Don’t think you have, mate.” He then adds: “Put the hand in the cuff mate.”
While being handcuffed Henry says “I can’t breathe” another three times.
The officer can be heard saying: “He says he’s been stabbed, so let’s just check him.”
Instead of doing a basic search for a bleed, he appears to briefly lift Henry’s shirt around the belt area before he is left to lie on his side.
A female officer can then be heard asking: “Where do you think he’s been stabbed? In the face?” A male voice replies: “He hasn’t been stabbed.”
The female officer responds: “I know but we have to check don’t we. Where have you been stabbed in the face?”
But before she can make any further checks the male officer says: “Get these to back off and I’ll keep hold of him.”
Henry, who appears to have passed out, is then told he is being arrested for assault and the male officer reads him his rights. He died an hour later in hospital.
The IOPC confirmed that officers called to the murder scene are still being treated as witnesses at this stage.
IOPC director Derrick Campbell said: “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.”
Hampshire Police has confirmed the resignation of one of the officers involved in the Henry Nowak case. A spokesperson said: “Three of the officers are still serving, one officer has resigned. As the IOPC has confirmed, they are all being treated as witnesses, so not subject to any current restrictions.”
