A police watchdog is assessing whether race or religion impacted officers' actions and decision-making
Henry Nowak's arresting officers are under investigation over their conduct prior to his death.
A pair of Hampshire officers are being investigated for potential gross misconduct over the arrest and handcuffing of the 18-year-old university student last December.
While his hands were tied behind his back, Mr Nowak repeatedly told officers that he had been stabbed and was unable to breathe while his killer was treated as a victim of racist abuse.
In response to the student's desperate pleas for help, a policeman responded: "Don't think you have, mate."
Now, two officers involved are alleged to have failed to recognise the teenager needed immediate medical attention after he was stabbed multiple times, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed.
One of the officers was accused of appearing to dismiss Mr Nowak after being informed that he had been stabbed.
A spokesman for the Independent Office for Police Conduct said: "The evidence indicates that both officers – who were the first to arrive at the scene late in the evening of December 3 2025 – may have potentially breached the professional behaviour standards of duties and responsibilities, use of force and discreditable conduct.
"These relate to potential failures by the officers to recognise that Henry needed urgent medical attention, to immediately act after he said he had been stabbed and he couldn’t breathe, and the decision to arrest and handcuff Henry rather than provide immediate first aid.
"There’s also an indication one of the officers may have breached the standard relating to authority, respect and courtesy, for appearing to dismiss Henry saying he had been stabbed."
While Mr Nowak was handcuffed while he was left to die, it was revealed last week that Digwa was not handcuffed once during his four days in custody, despite being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder at the time.
At the start of June, the university student's murderer, Vickrum Digwa, was sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison.
The police watchdog is also assessing whether the "race or religion of either Henry or the Digwa family impacted on the actions and decision-making of the officers".
MORE ON HENRY NOWAK'S CASE:
The probe will assess whether the officers' decisions were impacted by "assumptions or prejudice relating to community tensions at the time and complaints made by Henry’s family about differences in how Henry was treated by officers compared to how Digwa and his family members were treated upon their arrests".
A statement from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said: "We are aware of the latest update from the IOPC and continue to fully co-operate with their independent investigation. The officers are currently away from the workplace.
"If they return, they will be placed on directed duties that do not involve any contact with the public."
At the time of Digwa's arrest, the killer falsely accused Mr Nowak of hurling a racist slur at him.
The 23-year-old Sikh also claimed his family had been victims of racist assaults in the past during the nine-minute-long footage of his arrest.
While emergency workers performed CPR on Mr Nowak, Digwa told police: "He pushed my turban off my head, started grabbing my hair. I'm a Sikh, obviously.
"He was grabbing at my hair, dragging me around, and from there an altercation happened. He started stumbling around."
IOPC director of engagement Derrick Campbell confirmed that his investigators had met the Nowak family where they discussed the ongoing investigation into the officers' conduct.
Mr Campbell added: "There is clear evidence that public confidence in the force may have been seriously harmed by this incident, and that is a factor we must consider when assessing the evidence.
"The serving of gross misconduct notices does not necessarily mean that disciplinary proceedings will follow. At the end of our investigation, we will decide whether any officers should face disciplinary proceedings."
Following Digwa's sentencing, officers in the same police force claimed they felt "controlled and pressured" after being subjected to mandatory diversity training, a survey showed.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary staff are all trained to be aware of racism, unconscious bias, and privilege, alongside contested critical race theory.
One in seven of those at the force said they feared that "mistakes would have been held against me", The Times revealed.
Guidance available to view on the force's website cites "treating people differently" based on ethnicity, leading to sharp criticisms of two-tier policing in Britain.