Former police officer in hiding after AI falsely linked her to Henry Nowak arrest
A former police officer was forced to move to a safe house after AI and social media users accused him of being one of the officers arrested in the Henry Nowak murder case.
Christi Hill, who left her job as a police officer in Portsmouth, near Southampton, 20 months before the murder, said she feared for her safety after misinformation spread.
In December, police officers in Southampton handcuffed Henry Nowak after he was attacked by Vickrum Digwa, who was later sentenced to life imprisonment. Digwa lied and claimed he was racially abused by the 18-year-old.
But as Mr Nowak said he had been stabbed as he lay dying, a police officer replied: “I don’t think so, mate.” Hampshire Constabulary was harshly criticized for its response to the incident.
Grok, X’s artificial intelligence service (formerly known as Twitter), mistakenly stated that Hill and another officer were among those involved in the case.
Some Facebook users also shared his name and photo, saying he was involved in this incident.
But Ms Hill had left the force almost two years before the murder.
He wrote: “I write this with a heavy heart, both out of deep sorrow for a tragic event and out of the necessity 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 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.
“The confusion stems from the press release regarding the national police bravery award, in which a photo of myself and a former colleague being unfairly targeted is repeatedly shared and misattributed to this case.
“It is alarming to see how quickly an outdated piece of media can be weaponized by algorithms and accepted as fact by AI platforms, even though it is impossible in reality.”
He said it was extremely disturbing that his name had been accidentally added to such a high-profile and sensitive issue and that there had been insufficient support from Hampshire Constabulary in correcting the false narrative.
“My main thoughts are with the family affected by this tragedy. They deserve justice and clarity, not the noise of misinformation online,” he added.
The former officer’s mother, Nikki Hill, said: News On Portsmouth: “It was awful to see his name and face on the internet.”
Independent He asked Hampshire Constabulary to respond.
A spokesperson told the news site: “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 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 self-referral the following day.
“We ask people to avoid harmful speculation online as this progresses.”
Grok shared what appeared to be an apology in a message to X: “This mistake, [sic] real troubles, including harmful online speculation, threats, and forcing him into a safe house. I take responsibility.
“AI systems can make identification errors, especially with limited public details and unverified reports. I should have been more careful and meticulously verified timelines before naming anyone.”
