UK police handcuffed teen who died from stab wound in a case stirring race and policing debate

LONDON (AP) — The fatal stabbing of a British teenager who was handcuffed by police while his killer stood nearby sparked a debate Tuesday about policing, race and knife crime.

The killing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak happened in December, but the story gained renewed attention after the killer was sentenced Monday to life in prison with a minimum sentence of 21 years and video was released showing police not believing Nowak when he said he had been stabbed.

The 23-year-old killer, Vickrum Digwa, who is Sikh, had reported to police that he was the victim of a racist attack by Nowak, who is white.

Police officers who arrived at the scene on a residential street in the coastal city of Southampton in southern England appeared to take him at his word. However, the court ruled that Digwa had lied about being the victim of racism.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that he was disturbed by the video and said there were questions that needed to be answered about “how accusations of racism affected the decision-making process in this case.”

A large group gathered outside Southampton police station to protest Nowak’s death.

Victim complains he can’t breathe when handcuffed by police

The university student, who was lying on his back, told the police that he was stabbed while trying to grab his wrists and help him stand up. He said repeatedly that he couldn’t breathe.

“Were you stabbed? Where?” an officer said in the video. “Don’t think so, buddy.”

After the sentencing hearing, the victim’s father, Mark Nowak, said the case was not about racism or religion and asked that his son’s death lead to safer streets and not be used to create “further division, hatred or tension.”

But Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s anti-immigrant Reform Party, said on Tuesday it was an example of so-called two-tiered policing; this was a popular far-right talking point, arguing that ethnic minorities were treated better than whites.

Farage said people should respond to the incident with “pure cold anger” and called for an end to “anti-white prejudice” and promotion of the idea that “white lives matter as much as Black lives”.

Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood denied there were different police standards for different communities and urged members of Parliament “not to let this murder turn communities against each other”.

Mahmood said he understood people’s horror at the video of the tragic death and said the government was trying to sharply reduce knife crime.

Police watchdog investigates officers’ response

The Independent Police Conduct Office has appealed for calm while it investigates the conduct of officers from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary. He said rumors spread online led to death threats against a police officer who was not involved in the arrest.

“Misinformation and inflammatory comments are making a terrible situation worse,” he said. “We must condemn it all together”

Two summers ago, a stabbing attack at a dance class in northern England that killed three girls and injured 10 others sparked widespread riots that lasted almost a week after people misidentified the young suspect as a Muslim asylum seeker on social media. Violent and violent clashes with police mostly targeted immigrants and Muslims.

In this case, the British-born attacker’s parents were Christians from Rwanda, and investigators were unable to pinpoint the attacker’s motivation but ruled out terrorism. Police found documents on his devices related to subjects such as Nazi Germany, the Rwandan genocide and car bombs.

In the case of Nowak, a first-year student at the University of Southampton who was out with friends, police officers walked towards the scene of a reported assault. Nowak could be seen in the driveway and was stopped by someone who said he was bleeding from the mouth.

Digwa was standing nearby and told officers he was also injured and said his eyelid was swollen. She claimed that Nowak took off her hijab and pulled her hair.

After Nowak was handcuffed, officers laid him on his side and checked for stab wounds. He appeared to have lost consciousness when one of the officers told him he was under arrest for assault and read him his rights.

When officers noticed his injuries, they uncuffed him and began CPR, police said.

Judge rejects racist claim

Digwa was found guilty of murder at Southampton Crown Court.

Judge William Mousley told Digwa he did not believe Nowak had said anything racist to him.

“You are the only person who made this claim and it is completely contradictory to his previous character,” he said.

In the UK, where gun ownership is tightly regulated, knives are often weapons used in violent crimes and are also subject to restrictions. In general, people are not allowed to carry bladed weapons, except pocket knives with a cutting edge no longer than 3 inches (7.62 centimeters). However, for religious reasons, Sikhs are allowed to carry ceremonial knives known as kirpans.

Mousley said Digwa had a small kirpan, an absolute requirement for Sikhs to carry, but he also had an 8-inch (21 centimeters) sheathed Sikh dagger used as a weapon to kill Nowak. He said the religious connection of the knives put other Sikhs in danger.

“Your actions have increased racial tensions in Southampton and across the country, causing many Sikhs to fear for their own safety despite having done absolutely nothing wrong,” the judge said.

Police apologized to Nowak’s family and said Digwa’s lies misled officers.

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said: “It’s devastating that officers didn’t believe Henry when he said he had been stabbed and couldn’t breathe.” “The details of the police response raise serious concerns about police impartiality, fairness and judgment.”

Digwa’s mother Kiran Kaur, 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender after trying to hide the murder weapon. He will be sentenced on July 17.