More arrests expected after clashes between police and protesters in Southampton

More arrests are expected after clashes between police and protesters amid outrage over the death of Henry Nowak, an officers’ group has said.

Spencer Wragg, chairman of Hampshire Police Federation, condemned “mob justice” that saw bottles, bricks and wheelie bins hurled at police officers in Southampton on Tuesday.

Video footage of 18-year-old Mr Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying by officers who ignored him saying that he had been stabbed and could not breathe has sparked heavy criticism.

He had suffered unsurvivable knife injuries inflicted by Vickrum Digwa, who lied to police that he had been a victim of a racist attack and pretended he had not hurt Mr Nowak, who was in fact mortally wounded.

Eleven Hampshire police officers and a police dog were injured as missiles were thrown on Tuesday.

Mr Wragg said: “This was not protest. This was violent and sustained disorder and it has no place on the streets of this country.

“Mob ‘justice’ has no place on our streets – the rule of law and due process must be paramount. The perpetrators of such violence against our colleagues should and will face the full force of the law. We expect more arrests to follow.

“Officers were subjected to disgraceful violence – pelted with bottles, bricks and wheelie bins.”

Two people were arrested for assaulting police and possession of a weapon after hundreds gathered outside Southampton Central Police Station.

Watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating Hampshire Police’s handling of the murder scene, with the officers involved being treated as witnesses and therefore continuing to serve with no restrictions on their duties.

Jailing Digwa for life on Monday, Judge William Mousley KC said that the officers called to the scene would not have immediately known that Mr Nowak was hurt.

“The police were given a convincing but wholly false narrative of the incident. It was dark and Henry was wearing a dark top. The entry damage caused by the knife through it, would not have been obvious.

“Whilst there was visible blood on Henry, it would not have clearly been seen coming from that wound and the clearly visible facial wound was not life-threatening.

“Henry was complaining that he had been stabbed and was struggling to breathe but that would not have necessarily told the officers how serious the situation had become.

“It is the experience of the criminal courts that sometimes, someone arrested and handcuffed will feign injury in the hope they may be released.

“These police officers were faced with having to make quick decisions in pressurised circumstances about the best way to act.

“The genuine shock to the particular police officer, when he realised that he had been giving CPR to Henry when he had a serious chest wound, tends to show that he was doing his best in a very difficult situation.”