Former officer in hiding after being falsely linked to Henry Nowak arrest | Southampton
A former police officer was forced to flee to safety after he was falsely accused online of involvement in the murder of Henry Nowak.
Christi Hill, who served as a police officer for 12 years, criticized social media and AI platforms, including Elon Musk’s Grok, for spreading the false claim that she was one of the officers who arrested Nowak, who was near death after being stabbed by Vickrum Digwa.
Hill and another officer were mistakenly identified online. A male officer was misidentified and forced to move out of his home, Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said on Tuesday.
Grok mistakenly named Hill and the other officer as the “primary officers shown” in body camera footage released by Hampshire police. Musk, the platform’s billionaire owner, expressed interest in the case and announced during the hearing that he would fund a private investigation into the officers involved at platform X.
Hill served as an officer in Portsmouth for 12 years before leaving the force in April 2024 (20 months before the murder took place).
Hill released a statement: “I write this with a heavy heart, both out of deep sorrow for a tragic event and out of an obligation to protect my reputation, safety, and peace of mind.
“Today my name and picture have spread widely on social media and now on AI platforms like Grok, falsely identifying me as one of the officers who arrested me in the Henry Nowak case.
“To be clear, I was not involved in this incident. In fact, I left the Hampshire constabulary in April 2024. The tragic events involving Henry Nowak occurred in December 2025.
“The confusion stems from the press release regarding the national police bravery award. A photo of myself and a former colleague who was also unfairly targeted is repeatedly shared and misattributed to this case.”
Hill added: “It is alarming to see how quickly an outdated piece of media can be weaponized by algorithms and accepted as fact by AI platforms, even though it is impossible in reality.
It is extremely disturbing that my name has been inadvertently added to such a high-profile and sensitive issue when there is a clear lack of support from Hampshire Constabulary to correct this false narrative in a timely manner.
“My thoughts remain with the family affected by this tragedy. They deserve justice and clarity, not the noise of misinformation online. I ask my network to help share this statement.”
A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: “We know that significant comments have been made following the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa and we recognize the desire for answers about the police response that night.
“However, we cannot accept the significant spread of misinformation online by individuals intent on causing further fear and division by issuing threats to officers and sharing names that are simply untrue.
“A police officer unrelated to this case was misidentified online and subjected to death threats.
“The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is continuing its independent investigation into our response on the night in question, following our own guidance the following day. We would ask people to avoid harmful speculation online as this progresses.”
The Guardian has approached X for comment.
