Hundreds Protest in English City After Teen Dies From Stab Wound While Handcuffed by Police

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the police needed to answer questions about whether ‘accusations of racism informed the decision-making in this case.’

People gather to protest outside Southampton police station in Southampton, England, on June 2, 2026. Gareth Fuller/PA via AP

Hundreds of people protested outside a police station in Southampton, England, on June 2 about the death of Henry Nowak, who last year was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa and then handcuffed by police as he lay dying.

The incident drew renewed attention after the killer was sentenced to life with a minimum of 21 years in prison on June 1, and following the release of a video showing police dismissing Nowak when he said that he had been stabbed.

Nowak, 18, was stabbed in Southampton on Dec. 3, 2025.

Digwa was jailed after a trial heard he had reported to police that he was the victim of a racist attack by Nowak, who was white.

While officers who arrived at the scene on a residential street appeared to take him at his word, the court determined that Digwa had lied about being the victim of racism.

In the video, Nowak is seen lying on his back, telling police he had been stabbed as they grabbed his wrists and tried to make him sit up. He repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe.

“You’ve been stabbed? Whereabouts?” an officer said in the video. “Don’t think you have, mate.”

Some protesters on June 2 shouted, “I can’t breathe,” in recognition of the words Nowak uttered in a police officer’s body-worn camera footage.

A group of demonstrators later clashed with riot police, who were forced to retreat after rocks, chairs, and flares were hurled in their direction.

Hampshire Chief Constable Alexis Boon said in a June 3 statement that police officers are accountable for their actions, but those involved in Nowak’s arrest deserve an independent investigation using “fair and transparent processes.”

“What we, as a society, cannot accept is the violent scenes we saw in Southampton last night,” Boon said. “Some clearly arrived intent on causing disorder and trouble. We saw bottles thrown, makeshift weapons used, damage caused to the homes and vehicles of innocent residents and threats and violence directed towards our officers.”

11 Police Officers Injured

He said 11 officers and one police dog were injured, and two people were arrested. He added that the number would rise as their investigations continued.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the body-worn footage showing Nowak being handcuffed and a police officer telling him he did not think he had been stabbed was sickening. Starmer said there were questions to be answered about whether “accusations of racism informed the decision-making in this case.”

On June 3, Starmer described the violence in Southampton on the previous night as “disgraceful and completely unacceptable.”

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood pointed out that the Nowak family had made a “powerful call” for his death not to be used to create division, hatred, or tension.

“There can be no justification for hijacking this tragedy to stir up violence and disorder. Those responsible can expect to face the full force of the law,” Mahmood said.

Footage from one of the arresting officer’s body-worn cameras shows that when the police arrive, Digwa says he has an injured eye and that his turban had ⁠been knocked off by Nowak.

Later, Digwa claimed the knife he had used to stab Nowak was one he was entitled to have under an exemption in UK law for Sikhs to carry ceremonial daggers or kirpans.

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

“You are the only person to make that claim, and it is completely at odds with his previous character,” the judge said in his sentencing remarks.

Henry Nowak's father, Mark Nowak (L), speaks to reporters outside Southampton Crown Court in England on June 1, 2026. Will Heaver/AP

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

Farage: ‘Anti-White Prejudice’

Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, said on June 2 that it proved that two-tier policing—ethnic minorities getting better or different treatment than white people—was being practiced in Britain.

Farage called for an end to “anti-white prejudice,” and the promotion of the idea “that white lives matter just as much as black lives.”

In a June 3 post on X, Elon Musk wrote, “Trust Grok” above a post by AI chatbot Grok that read, “Yes. Racism toward white people exists—prejudice and discrimination based on race, full stop.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation into the conduct of officers from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.