Student Dies in Handcuffs After Telling Police Nine Times He Could Not Breathe; Officer Unrelated to Case Forced to Relocate

Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student from Southampton, repeatedly told police officers “I can’t breathe” while handcuffed and dying from a stab wound, according to bodycam footage released by Hampshire police with permission from his family. The footage shows officers speaking to Nowak’s killer, Vickrum Digwa, 23, who falsely claimed at the scene that he had been the victim of a racist attack, leading police to handcuff Nowak as he lay on the ground. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said an investigation into the force’s actions is ongoing, and the attorney general’s office is reviewing Digwa’s life sentence with a minimum of 21 years under the unduly lenient sentence (ULS) scheme after receiving “multiple requests.”

Incident Details and Police Response

The stabbing occurred in 2025 when Digwa used a 21cm (8in) blade, which he said he carried as part of his Sikh faith, to inflict stab wounds to Nowak’s legs and a fatal wound to his heart. Bodycam footage shows an officer arriving at the scene asking, “What’s your name, mate?” as Nowak, lying on his back, faintly replies, “Henry.” Digwa then steps into the frame, claiming Nowak had removed his turban and grabbed him by the hair. When the officer asks Digwa, “Are you injured?” Digwa responds, “Yeah, yeah, I’ve got a swollen eye here, a little bruise here.” Officers then turn to Nowak, who can be heard repeating “I’ve been stabbed” and “I can’t breathe” while being forced to sit up for handcuffing. As the footage continues, Nowak says “I can’t breathe” another three times during the handcuffing process. One officer responds, “I don’t think you have, mate,” after Nowak states he has been stabbed. The officer later says, “He says he’s been stabbed, so let’s just check him,” and briefly lifts Nowak’s shirt around the belt area before leaving him to lie on his side. A female officer asks, “Where do you think he’s been stabbed? In the face?” and a male voice replies, “He hasn’t been stabbed.” Nowak, who appears unresponsive, is then told he is being arrested for assault.

Family Condemnation and Police Apology

Nowak’s family described his treatment by police as “inhumane and degrading,” and the force has apologized. His father, Mark, said: “Henry told officers that he could not breathe nine times. He told them that he had been stabbed four times. Henry was pulled across the gravel, his hands forced behind his back and he was placed in handcuffs.” Speaking outside court, Mark Nowak said his son “did not die with dignity” and called the contrast between how his son and Digwa were treated “unbearable.” “Henry should not have died on the streets of Southampton in police custody,” he added. Hampshire police’s Deputy Chief Constable Robert France said that within three minutes of interacting with Nowak, officers were starting to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). He added: “This is a complete tragedy and I am sorry that they couldn’t save Henry that night and I’m sorry that Henry was handcuffed and arrested as he lost consciousness. The pathologist who spoke in court was clear there was nothing officers could have done that day to save Henry. His wound was deep and internal, the bleeding extensive but internal.”

Government Involvement and Sentence Review

Speaking in the House of Commons earlier, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood revealed that a police officer unrelated to the case had been misidentified and forced to relocate in order to protect him and his family. Mahmood also addressed the stabbing, though further details of her statement were not immediately available. The attorney general’s office is considering the jail sentence given to Digwa, who was jailed for life to serve a minimum of 21 years on Monday, after receiving “multiple requests” to review it under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

Context

The case echoes other incidents in the United Kingdom where police have been criticized for handcuffing or restraining individuals who later died, including the 2020 death of George Floyd in the United States, where a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck as Floyd repeated “I can’t breathe.” In the UK, the 2016 death of 28-year-old Leon Briggs, who died after being restrained by police in Luton, led to an IOPC investigation and calls for reform in police custody procedures.