U.K. police are under fire after the release of damning bodycam footage showing the final moments of student Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed after his murderer accused him of racism.Nowak, 18, was murdered last year by Vickrum Digwa, 23, who fatally stabbed him in the legs and heart with an 8-inch blade he claimed he carried as part of his Sikh faith. Digwa lied to police, claiming he was the victim of a racist attack, causing them to side with him on the scene despite Nowak’s distressed state. Details of the murder gradually trickled out through media reports, the worst of which were confirmed with the release of the bodycam footage on Tuesday.The newly released footage showed police disregarding the pleas of the pleas of Nowak, who was lying on the ground, while attentively listening to the unharmed Digwa.
At one point, Nowak pleaded, “I’ve been stabbed,” to which the officer responded, “I don’t think you have, mate.”
He repeatedly told officers he couldn’t breathe, but the police disregarded him. Nowak was handcuffed and read his rights, at which point he lost consciousness. The footage showed his hand was deathly pale from blood loss.
The footage also showed Digwa’s family taking part in the cover-up of Nowak’s stabbing. After hearing his pleas, one of Digwa’s brothers told officers he hadn’t actually been stabbed, to which one officer responded, “I know, but we have to check.” The brother who called the police made up a story that Nowak had attacked the murderer and shouted racial abuse. He also claimed no weapons were involved.
