IOPC says it is investigating whether race or religion impacted any of the officers’ actions. Published On 1 Jul 20261 Jul 2026Two United Kingdom police officers who handcuffed a stabbing victim as he lay dying are being investigated for potential gross misconduct, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) says.Henry Nowak, 18, was fatally stabbed in Southampton, England, in December by Vickrum Digwa, a British Sikh, who then lied to police at the scene, falsely claiming he had been the victim of a racist attack.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listOfficers accepted Digwa’s account and treated Nowak as a suspect rather than a victim. Police body-camera footage showed Nowak’s pleas of being unable to breathe going unanswered.The footage of the incident prompted protests, political debate and questions about how police treat different ethnic groups after Digwa was sentenced last month to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.The IOPC said in a statement on Wednesday that the two officers were informed of the ongoing investigation, adding that the “evidence indicates that both officers may have potentially breached the professional behaviour standards of duties and responsibilities, use of force, and discreditable conduct.”“These relate to potential failures by the officers to recognise that Henry needed urgent medical attention, to immediately act after he said he had been stabbed and he couldn’t breathe, and the decision to arrest and handcuff Henry rather than provide immediate first aid,” the statement added.“There’s also an indication one of the officers may have breached the standard relating to authority, respect and courtesy, for appearing to dismiss Henry saying he had been stabbed,” the IOPC said. Advertisement It also said it was investigating whether race or religion impacted any of the officers’ actions. Police footage shows the arrest of Henry Nowak after he was stabbed on December 3, 2 …
