'I can't breathe': Police who handcuffed Henry Nowak being investigated

Police who handcuffed UK student Henry Nowak before he died being investigated for gross misconduct Wed 1 Jul 2026 at 9:31pm In short: Two police officers who handcuffed British student Henry Nowak before he died in Southampton, England, are being investigated for gross misconduct. Mr Nowak died after being stabbed in December while handcuffed after his killer falsely alleged a racist attack. What's next? The English police watchdog will investigate the officers and whether race or religion played a role in their decisions. Two English police officers who handcuffed student Henry Nowak before he died are being investigated for gross misconduct. Mr Nowak, 18, died after a knife attack in the southern English city of Southampton in December. He was handcuffed by police while he lay dying from stab wounds after his killer falsely alleged a racist attack. Warning: This article contains graphic content. Loading...'I don't think you have, mate' Police body cam footage shows Mr Nowak lying in the street, saying "I've been stabbed" and "I can't breathe" while an officer responds, "I don't think you have, mate". His killer, Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old Sikh man, was sentenced to life in prison last month. The English and Welsh police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said in a statement that evidence indicates that the two officers who were the first to arrive at the scene may have potentially breached professional behaviour standards of duties and responsibilities, use of force and discreditable conduct. "These relate to potential failures by the officers to recognise that Henry needed urgent medical attention, to immediately act after he said he had been stabbed and he couldn't breathe, and the decision to arrest and handcuff Henry rather than provide immediate first aid," the statement said. "There's also an indication one of the officers may have breached the standard relating to authority, respect and courtesy, for appearing to dismiss Henry saying he had been stabbed." Protests turned violent Mr Nowak's death sparked large protests in Southhampton, which turned violent when marchers attacked police and blocked roads with stones, bottles and bins. Pathologists found that Mr Nowak would have died of his injuries at the scene regardless of the emergency response and police later called an ambulance and performed CPR. After Digwa was sentenced, Mr Nowak's family said the way Henry was treated by police was "inhumane and degrading" but that his death should not be "used to create further division, hatred or tension". IOPC spokesperson Derrick Campbell said the two officers will face gross misconduct investigations but that does not necessarily mean they will face disciplinary proceedings. "There is clear evidence that public confidence in the force may have been seriously harmed by this incident, and that is a factor we must consider when assessing the evidence," he said. "At the end of our investigation, we will decide whether any officers should face disciplinary proceedings." Formal complaints about police Mr Nowak's family has made made formal complaints about police, the IOPC said. The watchdog said it would examine the actions of the officers at the scene, including the decision to arrest Mr Nowak and handcuff him and the first aid provided. The IOPC will also investigate the decisions and actions of control room staff, including calls relating to the incident and information passed on to the attending officers and the ambulance service. It will also consider whether race or religion impacted the officers' actions. "Whether officers' decisions were influenced by assumptions or prejudice relating to community tensions at the time, and complaints made by Henry's family about differences in how Henry was treated by officers compared to how Digwa and his family members were treated upon their arrests," the IOPC said. [Image text:] ICANT BREATHE ICANT BREATHE ICANT BREATHE IVE BEEN STABBED IVE BEEN STABBED