TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The death of an 18-year-old student who was handcuffed by police as he lay dying after a stabbing has triggered a national outcry in the United Kingdom (UK), fueling political tensions, public protests, and scrutiny of police conduct.Henry Nowak, a university student from Southampton, was fatally stabbed on December 3, 2025, while walking home after a night out with friends. His killer, 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years on Monday, June 1.As reported by CNN, the case has drawn widespread attention after police bodycam footage showed officers handcuffing Nowak while he repeatedly told them he had been stabbed and was struggling to breathe.The footage showed Digwa falsely claiming that he had been the victim of a racist attack. Officers initially treated him as the victim, while Nowak was restrained on the ground. In the recording, the teenager can be heard saying, "I can't breathe" and "I've been stabbed," while one officer responded that he did not believe he had been stabbed.According to investigators, Digwa stabbed Nowak multiple times, including a fatal wound to the chest that caused severe internal bleeding. A pathologist later concluded that the injury was unsurvivable and that medical intervention would not have saved his life.The circumstances surrounding the police response have sparked anger across the country. On Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside a police station in Southampton, where protests escalated into clashes with riot police. Eleven officers were injured after some protesters threw bricks and other projectiles.The unrest intensified after several far-right figures publicly commented on the case. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage argued that the police response reflected excessive concern about accusations of racism, while activist Tommy Robinson and actor Laurence Fox also addressed protesters during demonstrations in Southampton.Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned attempts to exploit the tragedy for political purposes. He accused political figures of using the case to create division despite repeated appeals from the victim's family for calm.Speaking after the sentencing, Henry's father, Mark Nowak, described the police treatment of his son as shocking. However, he stressed that the case should not be used to inflame racial tensions."This is not a case about Sikhism. This is not a case about racism. This is a case about murder," he said, while also calling on authorities to treat knife crime as a national emergency.According to India News Network, protests continued across Southampton following Digwa's sentencing, with demonstrators marching from the city center to the location where Nowak was attacked. The violence prompted condemnation from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who said there could be no justification for using the tragedy to provoke disorder.The political fallout has also extended beyond the protests. Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Deshi, who is Sikh, warned against blaming the wider Sikh community for the actions of one individual. Sikh organizations and community leaders have similarly urged the public not to allow the murder to deepen divisions between communities.Meanwhile, police officers involved in the initial response have come under increasing scrutiny. One officer has reportedly resigned for reasons unrelated to the case, while another officer received death threats and was forced to relocate after being wrongly identified online.The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation into the actions of officers at the scene. The review is examining bodycam footage, witness statements, and other evidence to determine whether proper procedures were followed.The controversy deepened further after Hampshire Police Chief Constable Alexis Boon publicly apologized to Nowak's family. Speaking to the BBC, Boon said he was deeply distressed by the footage and acknowledged that the way the teenager was handcuffed and arrested had caused significant pain to his relatives."I'm so sorry you've had to go through this," Boon said, offering an apology on behalf of the force.The police chief confirmed that three officers involved in the incident are no longer serving in frontline roles while investigations continue. However, he rejected calls for his resignation and said it would be inappropriate to prejudge the outcome of the independent inquiry.Boon also pushed back against allegations of "two-tier policing," a term used by some critics who argue that police handled the incident differently because of racial considerations. He said officers serve all communities and that he did not recognize such a characterization of policing practices.The National Police Chiefs' Council is now reviewing whether existing anti-racism guidance and commitments require changes following the controversy.As investigations continue, the case has become a flashpoint in Britain's broader debates over race, policing, immigration, and public trust in institutions. While political leaders, police officials, and community representatives continue to argue over its implications, Henry Nowak's family has repeatedly called for accountability without allowing the tragedy to become a source of further hatred and division.Read: UK: Protest Erupts over Student MurderClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News