'Can't breathe': Video shows UK cops arresting stabbed teen as Indian-origin attacker posed as victim

A video wide circulating connected societal media shows British constabulary handcuffing a dying teen aft helium was stabbed by an Indian-origin Sikh antheral who falsely claimed helium had been racially abused by the victim.The victim, 18-year-old Henry Nowak, was successful a susceptible information and repeatedly tried to archer officers that "I can't breathe".The attacker, 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, was carrying a ample dagger known arsenic a "kirpan," a ceremonial nonfiction of religion successful Sikhism. Digwa utilized the weapon, a "large dagger" to stab Nowak and was sentenced to beingness imprisonment connected Monday aft being recovered guilty. He volition service a minimum of 20 years earlier becoming eligible for parole.When officers from Hampshire Police arrived astatine the scene, Digwa allegedly misled them by claiming that Nowak had knocked disconnected his turban successful a racially motivated onslaught successful Southampton. Based connected that account, officers handcuffed the teen earlier discovering the severity of his injuries.In the footage, Nowak tin beryllium seen lying connected his backmost arsenic officers grabbed his wrists and attempted to beryllium him up. He repeatedly told constabulary that helium had been stabbed and struggled to breathe.

“You’ve been stabbed? Whereabouts?” 1 serviceman is heard asking successful the video. “Don’t deliberation you have, mate.”Following the sentencing hearing, Nowak's father, Mark Nowak, said the calamity should not beryllium viewed done the lens of contention oregon religion. He said helium hoped his son's decease would pb to safer streets and would not beryllium utilized to substance “further division, hatred oregon tension”.The fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak successful Southampton past December triggered wide statement successful the UK, including calls from immoderate far-right groups to restrict Sikhs' close to transportation the kirpan, a ceremonial nonfiction of faith.Addressing the House of Commons, UK location caput Shabana Mahmood urged radical not to blasted the wider Sikh assemblage for the actions of 1 individual."There person been calls to bounds the close of Sikhs to transportation their ceremonial knife, the kirpan, 1 of the 5 beatified items successful their faith," Mahmood said, referring to demands from immoderate groups for a ban.She pointed to the UK's Offensive Weapons Act 2019, which she said "clarified and strengthened existing ineligible protections successful narration to agelong kirpans"."This included extending defences, truthful that kirpans tin beryllium lawfully possessed for spiritual reasons and utilized successful spiritual and ceremonial contexts. But fto maine beryllium clear, carrying a weapon for the intent of spiritual observance is 1 thing, utilizing it arsenic truthful tragically occurred successful this lawsuit is rather another. It is simply a vile act, a transgression of the utmost severity, and it volition beryllium met with the severest punishment," she said.Mahmood besides warned against allowing the execution to disagreement communities."We bash not judge successful corporate punishment successful this country. Instead, we basal unneurotic against an enactment of axenic evil. We condemn those who committed this heinous crime, not each those who stock their religion oregon their ethnicity,” she said.Several Sikh MPs intervened during the debate. Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi criticised Reform UK, Restore Britain and different far-right groups for "scapegoating and throwing nether the autobus an full assemblage based connected the actions of 1 convulsive murderer"."What's precise galling is that the likes of Reform, Restore and the far-right decided to politicise people's pain, attacking the Sikh assemblage for wearing the kirpan and wanting it banned, adjacent though the kirpan was not utilized successful this convulsive attack,” Dhesi said.He besides highlighted the publication of Sikh soldiers who fought alongside British forces successful some World Wars portion "wearing their turban and their kirpan", and urged the authorities to reaffirm the community's close to "freely and peacefully practise their faith".Labour MP Gurinder Singh Josan expressed his "shock and horror" astatine the sidesplitting and requested a gathering with Mahmood to sermon concerns raised by the case."There is simply nary spiritual justification for these actions, a sentiment that is shared universally crossed the Sikh community. This lawsuit has raised galore aspects of interest to my constituents, Sikh and non-Sikh, including issues of safety, weapon transgression and issues of state to signifier one's faith," helium said.Mahmood said she was unfastened to further discussions with Sikh assemblage representatives to assistance onslaught the "right equilibrium betwixt the spiritual freedoms that helium (Josan) and I some bask arsenic members of religion minorities successful our country, and besides the request to marque definite that nationalist extortion is ne'er compromised".She besides confirmed that the Independent Office for Police Conduct's probe into the actions of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary officers astatine the country would beryllium carried retired transparently.The statement additionally touched connected concerns astir "two-tier policing", with immoderate lawmakers questioning whether definite communities person preferential treatment. Mahmood rejected the suggestion, saying each information forces person a "sacred work to constabulary without fearfulness oregon favour".Meanwhile, the Council of Southampton Gurdwaras issued a connection expressing solidarity with Nowak's household and offering "ardas (prayers)" connected behalf of the Sikh community."Digwa's actions were successful nonstop contradiction to Sikh teachings and values that person guided Sikh communities for much than 5 centuries, including successful Britain for implicit 150 years,” the connection said.During Monday's sentencing hearing, Judge William Mousley stressed that it is the "fundamental rule of Sikhism that immoderate kirpan is worn arsenic a awesome of spiritual religion and is ne'er to beryllium carried for an violative purpose"."You abused the privilege extended to Sikhs to person a weapon successful a nationalist spot for spiritual reasons, dishonoured your religion and person present enactment others astatine hazard of repercussions," the justice told Digwa.Digwa's mother, 53-year-old Kiran Kaur, remains successful custody for her relation successful removing the execution limb from the transgression country successful Portswood, south-east England, soon aft the onslaught connected December 4 past year. She is owed to beryllium sentenced connected July 17.