UK police who arrested dying stab victim face probe

British police officers who handcuffed and arrested the 18-year-old stabbing victim as he lay on his deathbed are being investigated for potential gross misconduct, the Independent Office for Police Conduct said.

Two officers from Hampshire Constabulary were the first on the scene after Henry Nowak was stabbed in the coastal city of Southampton in southern England in December 2025.

Her killer, Vickrum Digwa, who is Sikh, falsely claimed that he was the victim of a racist attack by Nowak, who is white.

Police body-worn video footage of Nowak’s final moments, showing her being handcuffed and telling officers she had been stabbed and couldn’t breathe, shocked the public.

The police conduct office said the two officers “may have potentially violated standards of professional conduct, including duties and responsibilities, use of force and discreditable conduct.”

Derrick Campbell, the IOPC’s executive director, said the investigation “does not necessarily mean that disciplinary proceedings will be initiated”.

“At the conclusion of our investigation, we will determine whether any officers will face disciplinary action.”

The watchdog is also looking at whether race or religion plays a role in police officers’ decision-making.

Nowak’s death was embraced by far-right activists and politicians who alleged anti-white bias in the justice system.

Violence broke out in Southampton after Digwa, 23, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to at least 21 years in prison.