Staff Reports
The newly released police bodycam footage from the Southampton killing of student Henry Nowak shows a shocking scene: a badly wounded young man repeatedly telling officers “I’ve been stabbed” and “I can’t breathe” while he is handcuffed on the ground. The man who murdered him, Vickrum Digwa, has been convicted of murder and given a life sentence with a minimum of 21 years behind bars. The footage, released after the trial, has sparked anger, questions, and an official watchdog probe.
What the bodycam footage actually shows
The video captures the first moments after the stabbing. Henry is on the ground. He warns officers several times that he has been stabbed. He says he cannot breathe. Yet officers at the scene initially treat the situation as if Digwa were the injured party and place Henry in handcuffs. Court evidence shows Henry suffered five stab wounds, including a fatal chest wound. The pathologist told the court nothing officers could have done that night would have saved him — but that does not erase how horrible these moments look on camera.
Why this footage matters
This is not just another tragic crime story. The bodycam raises real questions about judgment on the street and how police decide who to believe in the heat of the moment. Hampshire Constabulary has apologised and said handcuffs were removed within minutes while officers attempted CPR. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is still investigating the officers’ actions, and one officer caught on camera has resigned. Even Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the footage “harrowing” and said it raises serious questions about whether accusations of racism affected how police acted.
Wider context: knife crime, family charges, and public anger
Digwa filmed the attack and has had his family members face further charges in related knife and weapons matters. The convicted killer’s sentence is severe, as it should be. But the outrage is about more than one criminal and one bad night. People are angry about rising knife crime, about how officers handle chaotic scenes, and about whether certain narratives are trusted too quickly on the street. If we want fewer deaths, we need safer streets, clearer police training, and quicker accountability when misconduct appears on camera.
At the end of the day, Henry Nowak is dead and his family lives with that loss. The bodycam footage gives the public a raw view of what happened in Henry’s final moments. The IOPC must finish its inquiry and the force must answer honestly. If Britain wants to restore trust, it should start by policing that protects victims first, not narratives. That’s not partisan. It’s basic decency.
