Murder of Henry Nowak

[brad465]

While this was going to be newsworthy regardless, there are only two reasons why this has blown up in the way it has: 1) Farage needs a distraction from the crypto saga; 2) a crucial by-election is taking place and Farage is afraid Restore Britain will take votes off the Reform UK candidate, so altogether he's come out with a "rally cry" to further both these motives, which has then initiated the chain reaction of Musk getting involved and protests on the streets in Southampton (and potentially elsewhere if this drags on).

 

[Andyh82]

While this was going to be newsworthy regardless, there are only two reasons why this has blown up in the way it has: 1) Farage needs a distraction from the crypto saga; 2) a crucial by-election is taking place and Farage is afraid Restore Britain will take votes off the Reform UK candidate, so altogether he's come out with a "rally cry" to further both these motives, which has then initiated the chain reaction of Musk getting involved and protests on the streets in Southampton (and potentially elsewhere if this drags on).

To be fair to Farage (!), the media are helping here. Since Farage made that remark more coverage seems to be about his comments, with politicians asked to agree or disagree etc, than the actual reaction to the murder.

They also keep mentioning that disorder in Southampton, almost as if they are trying to get it to gain momentum and get some more disorder to occur as it would be a better story. You can tell they were disappointed it didn’t spill over into a second night.

 

[Edsmith]

One point I haven't seen made is about Nowak's use of the phrase "I can't breathe".

Up to (and including) George Floyd, that phrase was obviously expected to be taken at face value. But since then, I expect the police hear it on a near-daily basis from chancers trying it on.

I'm not sure there's a corrective, but I've often thought if I were in that situation I wouldn't use that phrase - literally any other form of words would be preferable. This incident has reinforced this!

Apparently Henry Nowak said "I can't breath" NINE times. What should he have said?

 

[Mogster]

Nowak had been stabbed half a dozen times and his chest was filling with blood. He had minutes to live, probably was frightened and confused. I wouldn’t imagine someone who died in the US when he was 10 or 11 was at the forefront of his mind.

I’d imagine he said he’d been stabbed and couldn’t breathe just because it accurately reflected his situation. His interactions with the police up to that evening had probably been very limited.

 

[Bantamzen]

Nowak had been stabbed half a dozen times and his chest was filling with blood. He had minutes to live, probably was frightened and confused. I wouldn’t imagine someone who died in the US when he was 10 or 11 was at the forefront of his mind.

I’d imagine he said he’d been stabbed and couldn’t breathe just because it accurately reflected his situation. His interactions with the police up to that evening had probably been very limited.

Indeed, I can't really understand why this is even a matter for discussion. If you are in need of urgent medical attention because you are struggling to breathe, telling them you can't breathe is actually quite important in getting medical attention. In time once there have been some hopefully independent inquiries into the response from the officers on the scene, we can dispel any practice of ignoring someone asking for urgent medical care, regardless of the situation or if the officer suspects they may not be telling the truth. There are many lessons to be learned here, but not expecting people to think of alternative ways to tell an an officer that they may be dying.

 

[HSTEd]

Someone who claims to have been stabbed (and apparently has blood in their mouth) should not be handcuffed unless medical attention is actively being received.

By cuffing him and leaving him like that they guarantee that almost any stab wound will be fatal because he obviously can't apply pressure to the wound.

Indeed preventing him (or other people) from applying pressure to a wound is a very serious matter.

 

[MartinC]

I understand that the Coroner has stated that as the victim was handcuffed the inquest will be conducted on the basis of a death in custody which will have an important effect on both the outcome and scope of investigation

 

[nw1]

Meanwhile, the Vice-President of the USA, Enoch Vance, seems to be claiming that it's all a result of migration.

A very extreme and far-right comment to make, given that Digwa is British. Seems to be insinuating that not only migrants, but also descendants of migrants, are automatically dangerous people. Insinuating that what turned Digwa into a murderer was not his personality, but his culture or his race.

On Friday, US Vice-President JD Vance blamed the death of the 18-year-old British student Henry Nowak, who was fatally stabbed last year in Southampton by Vickrum Digwa, on the "mass invasion of migrants" and said the "only response" was "righteous anger".

Source BBC: Hegseth attacks Europe over migration with beach 'invasion' D-Day speech

Of course, Vance and Hegseth definitely did not invade someone else's country, ever. But of course both are white, English-speaking, and right-wing, so that's OK then.

 

[TravelDream]

A very extreme and far-right comment to make, given that Digwa is British. Seems to be insinuating that not only migrants, but also descendants of migrants, are automatically dangerous people. What turned Digwa into a murderer was not his personality, but his culture or his race.

That discourse isn't out of line with this term's Trump immigration platform though.

We also know one of the things he really hates is America's birthright citizenship. Of course it is in black and white in the constitution so not something that can easily be changed by Trump without incredible acquiescence by the Supreme Court.

 

[35B]

That discourse isn't out of line with this term's Trump immigration platform though.

We also know one of the things he really hates is America's birthright citizenship. Of course it is in black and white in the constitution so not something that can easily be changed by Trump without incredible acquiescence by the Supreme Court.

Just to note that, though birthright citizenship is clearly implied by the Fourteenth Amendment, it had to be settled by the Supreme Court (an 1888 ruling) and the drafters left a tiny crack open with the clause "and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" when writing "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside". While any sane person would understand that to refer to those not subject to US law (especially diplomats), it has left scope for the cranks and racists.

Many of those in Vance's camp of course think the wrong sides won in the Civil War and WWII (note Hegseth's incredible comments yesterday) and, as such, would dearly love to overturn Reconstruction era amendments like the 14th.