‘I Can’t Breathe’: Police Overlooked Henry Nowak’s Pleas as He Bleed to Death
I can t breathe – The harrowing bodycam footage captures the critical moment when police overlooked Henry Nowak’s desperate warnings after he was fatally stabbed by Vikrum Digwa using a Sikh ceremonial knife. The video, released recently, provides a stark glimpse into the events that unfolded on 3 December 2025, when the 18-year-old student lay injured on the ground, pleading for help as his life was slipping away.
Incident Details: A Brutal Attack and Delayed Response
According to official records, Henry Nowak succumbed to his injuries after Vikrum Digwa executed a violent knife attack. The assault involved two precise stab wounds to the back of Nowak’s legs and a fatal incision to his chest, piercing his heart. The footage, filmed as law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, reveals the dissonance between the victim’s urgent pleas and the officers’ initial skepticism.
In the video, Digwa is seen shouting claims of racial assault, insisting that Nowak had attacked him. Meanwhile, the dying student repeatedly told the officers, “I’ve been stabbed.” One officer responded dismissively, “I don’t think you have mate,” before proceeding to cuff Nowak and arrest him for assault. The scene escalates as Digwa asserts he had a bruised eye, seemingly unharmed, while Nowak’s labored breathing grows more strained.
Nowak’s final moments are etched into the recording as he cries, “I can’t breathe,” nine times in total. His repeated assertions of being stabbed go unheeded by the officers, who continue to debate the circumstances of his injuries. Tragically, Nowak died shortly after, while the perpetrator remained unchallenged in his account of the events.
Legal Proceedings: Digwa’s Self-Defense Claim and the Prosecution’s Counter
During his trial at Southampton Crown Court, Digwa defended his actions as self-defense, stating that Nowak had punched him and pulled his turban down in a racially motivated attack. He claimed he had stabbed Nowak in the legs to protect himself and later realized the fatal wound was unintentional. However, prosecutors argued that Digwa had fabricated his story, accusing him of telling a “wicked lie” to evade responsibility for the killing.
Digwa’s defense was also bolstered by a statement he made to his victim moments before the attack. The video footage of the incident shows him saying, “I am a bad man,” as if acknowledging his role in Nowak’s death. This admission, combined with his trial testimony, has fueled debate over his intent and awareness of the severity of his actions.
The prosecution emphasized that the knife attack was not an isolated act but a calculated response. They presented evidence suggesting Nowak had not racially assaulted Digwa, undermining the defendant’s self-defense argument. Despite this, the court ruled in favor of Digwa, sentencing him to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years.
Family’s Emotional Response to the Tragedy
Henry Nowak’s family expressed profound grief and outrage in the wake of the sentencing. Mark Nowak, the victim’s father, described the police’s treatment of his son as “inhumane” and highlighted the cruel contrast between the care afforded to Digwa and the neglect suffered by Henry. “Henry told officers he could not breathe nine times,” Mark said, his voice trembling. “He told them he had been stabbed four times. We hold Vikrum Digwa solely and 100 per cent responsible for Henry’s murder, but he should not have died in the street, bleeding out, while the killer was treated with dignity.”
“Henry should not have died on the streets of Southampton in police custody.”
Henry’s mother, Lucy, described her son as “ambitious, determined, and full of life,” underscoring the abrupt end to his promising future. “That future has been cruelly taken away,” she said, her words echoing the devastation felt by the entire family. “The impact of his loss has been unimaginable. We are learning to support one another through this grief, but the pain is constant. Our family will never be the same.”
The family’s anguish is compounded by the perceived inaction of the police. Mark Nowak, in his emotional impact statement read in court, described the moment of his son’s death as a haunting memory. “As a father, it is my job to protect my child,” he said. “I failed to keep him safe, I was not there when he needed me most. The thought of him lying in the road, scared and bleeding to death, will haunt me forever.”
“He had his whole life ahead of him, that future has been cruelly taken away.”
The incident has sparked a national conversation about the treatment of victims in police custody. Advocacy groups have criticized the officers’ failure to recognize Henry’s distress, calling it a failure in accountability. Meanwhile, the courtroom became a stage for emotional appeals as the family sought justice for their son’s untimely death.
