UK Minister Decries Violent Protests After Handcuffed Student’s Death
Controversy Surrounding Henry Nowak’s Death and Aftermath
By Sarah Young and Kate Holton
Government Response to Protests and Police Actions
LONDON, June 3 (Reuters) - Britain's interior minister Shabana Mahmood on Wednesday condemned as "completely unacceptable" violent protests which broke out over the case of an 18-year-old who was handcuffed as he lay dying after his killer falsely alleged a racist attack.
The murder of student Henry Nowak last year has dominated headlines in Britain since the sentencing of his Sikh killer on Monday, with the footage of officers ignoring a dying innocent man sparking a political storm about how police treat different ethnicities.
The government welcomed a move by police chiefs to review guidelines, which were drawn up in response to well-documented incidents of racism in policing, but denied the existence of a "two-tier" system, a much discussed topic on social media.
"There can be no justification for hijacking this tragedy to stir up violence and disorder," Mahmood said, after protesters clashed with police last night in the port city of Southampton, close to where Nowak was killed.
A further protest is planned outside parliament in London at midday (1100 GMT) on Wednesday.
Family and Public Reactions
Nowak's family called his treatment by police "inhumane and degrading", but in a statement outside court, his father said his death should not be "used to create further division, hatred or tension".
Court pathologists found that Nowak would have died of his injuries at the scene regardless of the emergency response. He was handcuffed by officers as he lay dying. They later called an ambulance and performed CPR.
Allegations of Racial Bias and Political Fallout
POLICE TREATMENT HAS SPARKED ANGER ACROSS BRITAIN
The populist leader of the anti-immigrant Reform Party Nigel Farage said that Nowak's death showed how police officers gave preferential treatment to ethnic minorities, and that people should respond with "pure cold rage".
Elon Musk, the U.S. billionaire who is a vocal critic of Britain's government, police, and anti-racism and diversity policies, has posted repeatedly about the case, saying on Tuesday: "Did you know that official police policy requires them to be racist against Whites?"
Official Investigations and Policy Reviews
Mahmood on Tuesday said everyone was equal before the law, and urged people to wait for the outcome of an investigation by the Independent Office of Police Conduct into how the Nowak incident was handled.
But the case has already prompted a reassessment. The National Police Chiefs' Council said they were reviewing the language of guidance given to officers, which under the Police Race Action Plan advises officers not to be "colour blind" in their approach and to treat ethnicities differently.
"It's right that it should be reviewed, but I think that shouldn't be taken to mean we need to rip up the whole system, we don't," policing minister Sarah Jones told Sky News.
Police Accountability and Resignations
Hampshire Police has apologised and said in a statement on Tuesday that one of the officers involved in the arrest had resigned, while three others were being treated as witnesses in the investigation.
Details of the Incident and Legal Proceedings
In the attack last December, Nowak's killer Vickrum Digwa, 23, lied to police saying that Nowak had racially abused and assaulted him during a brief altercation in the street.
In police bodycam footage, Nowak is seen lying on the street saying "I've been stabbed" and "I can't breathe" as he's being handcuffed, while an officer responds "I don't think you have, mate".
Digwa was sentenced to life in prison on Monday.
Comparisons to Other High-Profile Cases
Farage, whose party is leading in the polls, tried to draw parallels with the 2020 killing of George Floyd in the U.S., which sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, contrasting it with what he said had been a muted response to the Nowak death. Floyd had said "I can't breathe" as a police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
Protests and Law Enforcement Response
At a protest on Tuesday evening, hundreds of people waved flags and held up signs saying "Henry Nowak", "Unite the Kingdom" and "I Can't Breathe".
Mahmood called the violence that later followed, when objects were hurled at police, "disgraceful", and said those responsible would face the full force of the law. Two arrests were made, one for assaulting an officer.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Sarah Young and Kate Holton, additional reporting by Muvija M: Editing by Sharon Singleton)
