Ex-officer slams force after death threats over Nowak misinformation | UK | News
A former police officer has attacked Hampshire Constabulary for alleged inaction after he was mistakenly identified as one of the officers at the scene as tragic Henry Nowak died in handcuffs.
Christi Hill, who left the force in April 2024 and was therefore not an officer at the time of Henry’s murder by murderer Vickrum Digwa in December 2025, has faced death threats, been branded a “murderer” and her name and photo have been spread on social media since the case was heard.
Body camera footage released during the hearings showed the harrowing final moments of Henry’s life after he was repeatedly stabbed by Digwa, who was branded a “bad liar” by the judge who falsely accused his victim of racism and sentenced him to 21 years in prison on Monday.
In a case that has been compared to the infamous police murder of George Floyd, which took place in the United States in 2020 and sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, the footage shows Henry repeatedly telling officers that he had been stabbed and that he was having difficulty breathing. But the police appeared to be treating Digwa as a victim, with one officer responding to Henry’s plea: “I don’t think so, mate.”
Since details of the case emerged, public anger over Henry’s death has intensified, with calls for the officers involved to face justice. Thousands of people attended a protest outside Southampton Central Police Station on Tuesday, with demonstrators chanting “We can’t breathe” and “Take the knee”. Many arrests were made after the protest turned violent.
On Wednesday, Hill, who served as a police officer for 11 years, appeared in an interview with GB News presenter Ben Leo from an undisclosed safe house, where he condemned the actions of his former employers. He claimed there was a “clear lack of support” from Hampshire Constabulary as he continued to hide from those he feared might want to harm him.
What kind of turmoil did Christ Hill face?
“The situation has been so terrible over the last few days, especially yesterday. Everything happened so quickly that you almost feel like you’ve lost control of the situation.”
Christi outlined the response from Hampshire Police after she became the target of death threats, serious threats of violence and attempts to identify and track family members online.
He said: “I contacted them and said: ‘Please use my name, use my photo again if necessary. Make it absolutely clear that I was not a police officer on duty at the time of the incident.’ It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.”
He added: “I got nothing back.”
Christi continued: “They accepted the risk due to online harassment. They agreed to move me to safety, which they did.”
“Other than that I had almost no contact with them and to be honest I was really disappointed.”
How did Christi Hill respond to threats against her?
Hill, who confirmed that he had been assigned a police welfare officer, said he felt compelled to make a press statement after misinformation about his involvement spread online and was later repeated by artificial intelligence platform Grok.
The confusion stems from press coverage of national police bravery awards, which featured a photo of Hill and a former colleague, and both have since been falsely linked to the case.
In a public statement, Hill said: “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 spread widely on social media and now AI platforms like Grok, falsely identifying me as one of the officers who arrested me in the Henry Nowak case.
“To be absolutely clear, I was not involved in this incident. In fact, I left Hampshire Constabulary in April 2024.
“The tragic events involving Henry Nowak occurred in December 2025.”
He added: “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.”
What did Hampshire Constabulary say?
Hampshire Constabulary has confirmed it will not be naming the officers involved while the Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation continues.
Police also warned against the spread of false information online after multiple people were misidentified.
A force spokesman said: “We know that significant comments were made following the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa and we recognize the desire for answers regarding the police response that night.
“However, we cannot accept the significant spread of misinformation online by those intent on creating 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 self-referral the following day.
“We ask people to avoid harmful speculation online as this progresses.”
Hill’s mother, Nikki Hill, described the impact on her daughter: “It was devastating to see her name and her face on the internet.”
The case comes after Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said a male officer was mistakenly identified online and forced to leave his home after receiving threats.
The Express contacted Hampire Police for a comment via email.
