UK protests erupt after 18‑year‑old Henry Nowak dies handcuffed by police in Southampton

18‑year‑old Henry Nowak was stabbed in Southampton and, while dying on the street, was handcuffed by police who treated him as a suspect. Body‑camera footage showed him repeatedly pleading for help, but officers delayed medical assistance until he was unconscious. The incident sparked nationwide outrage over police protocols.

Protests and riots broke out in the Portswood area of Southampton on 3 June, with clashes that injured 11 officers and a police dog. Two men were later arrested – a 50‑year‑old from Gosport for assaulting an emergency worker and a 44‑year‑old from Southampton for violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon – and appeared before the magistrates’ court.

The alleged attacker, Vickrum Digwa, who had falsely claimed a racist assault, was convicted of murder and sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison on 1 June. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other officials have called for a review of police handling of such emergencies.