Key facts
- An inquest will examine if police actions contributed to Henry Nowak's death.
- Nowak was stabbed and bleeding when officers arrived and handcuffed him.
- Medical experts believe handcuffing may have intensified bleeding and led to his death.
- A jury inquest will consider police acts, omissions, and delays in treatment.
- The Independent Office for Police Conduct had previously cleared officers of misconduct.
An inquest is set to examine whether police actions, specifically handcuffing, contributed to the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak. Nowak was stabbed and bleeding when officers arrived on December 3, 2025. Despite Nowak repeatedly stating he had been stabbed and could not breathe, officers believed the attacker's false claims over the victim's pleas. Bodycam footage shows Nowak being forcefully handcuffed, after which he lost consciousness within approximately three minutes and subsequently died. Medical experts, including Dr. Krzysztof Magier, suggest that this intervention likely caused the clot to tear, intensifying bleeding and significantly reducing his chances of survival, which could have been higher had paramedics arrived first or if he had reached the nearby major trauma center sooner. This contrasts with initial findings that suggested no chance of survival. The coroner ordered a full jury inquest, citing obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, as prior investigations by the Independent Office for Police Conduct did not fully satisfy these requirements. The inquest is adjourned until at least September 2027.