Woman falsely identified as officer in Nowak case 'scared for safety'

A erstwhile constabulary serviceman wrongly identified arsenic being astatine the country of Henry Nowak's apprehension and consequent decease has said she is frightened for her information and has been hiding successful a harmless house.

Christi Hill said she near Hampshire Constabulary successful April 2024 - much than a twelvemonth earlier Nowak was fatally stabbed successful December 2025 - and told BBC Verify she was wrongly identified by societal media users and artificial quality (AI) chatbot Grok, starring to "threats of violence".

Hill criticised Grok, which is portion of Elon Musk's xAI group, for the "chaos" it caused by misidentifying her, and Hampshire constabulary for not publically confirming she was not involved.

Hampshire Constabulary and xAI person been approached for comment.

There has been wide outrage aft bodycam footage showed constabulary officers putting 18-year-old assemblage pupil Nowak successful handcuffs arsenic helium laic dying, aft his slayer Vickrum Digwa claimed helium had been the unfortunate of a radical attack.

The footage showed the teen repeatedly archer officers that helium had been stabbed, with 1 replying: "I don't deliberation truthful mate".

Digwa, 23, was jailed for beingness with a minimum of 21 years for murder.

BBC Verify has besides obtained grounds that existent constabulary serviceman Tristan Parsons, who was besides wrongly accused online of being involved, was not successful the state astatine the clip of Nowak's murder.

A assemblage inquest into Nowak's decease adjacent twelvemonth volition look astatine whether immoderate "act oregon omission by a constabulary officer" caused oregon contributed to his decease successful Southampton.

Musk has besides been criticised by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who accused him of trying to "whip up division" successful the UK implicit Nowak's murder.

The billionaire X proprietor has posted galore times connected the level astir the police's effect to the stabbing, criticising "how heinously Nowak was treated by the constabulary successful his dying moments".

Sir Keir told reporters connected Thursday: "We request to besides asseverate who we are arsenic a country, due to the fact that Musk, again, has been interfering successful our authorities successful the past fewer days, trying to whip up part – that is not who we are successful Britain...

"When we person a unspeakable lawsuit similar Henry's case, Henry Nowak, we respond calmly, arsenic his household person done."

Hill said she archetypal became alert of the mendacious posts astir 03:00 BST connected Tuesday erstwhile she started receiving notifications.

"I conscionable couldn't judge it, it was conscionable representation aft picture... aft opening the messages and societal media it was an onslaught from the opening really," she said, speaking from an undisclosed location.

"I didn't truly recognize wherever this was coming from.

"There were loads of posts saying utmost unit should beryllium fixed to each the officers that person been identified.

"There were radical saying I didn't merit to live, that I shouldn't beryllium connected the earth, [and] calling retired to find my family. Yeah, outrageous really."

Criticising Grok, she said: "It would reply and corroborate I was the arresting serviceman astatine an incidental I simply couldn't person been [at], and this was fuelling the occurrence of the outrage online... it went nuclear."

It led to Hill releasing a connection retired of frustration.

BBC News has besides seen posts from Tuesday connected X successful which Grok identified Hill and a antheral serviceman arsenic the officers progressive successful Nowak's arrest.

In aboriginal posts connected Thursday, the AI chatbot said it had "incorrectly named" Hill and it had made a "mistake successful ocular identification".

Responding to the correction, Hill said: "I conscionable don't deliberation that's bully capable for the chaos that it's caused, decease threats, threats of violence, threats against the information of aggregate radical that person been misidentified here."

Hill besides said she was "really frustrated" with Hampshire constabulary for not squashing the mendacious claims and confirming she does not enactment for them anymore.

"Ultimately these photos person been gathered from a National Police Bravery Award information by Hampshire Constabulary, posted by Hampshire Constabulary connected their socials years ago," she said.

"Apart from accepting the hazard to relocate maine for my information which I'm grateful for, different than that there's been nary effort to beryllium precise wide with communications... I consciousness wholly fto down by it and I cognize others astir apt bash arsenic well...

"It's a scary, lonely spot to be."

The location caput confirmed a antheral constabulary serviceman wrongly identified arsenic being progressive successful the lawsuit has received decease threats and has besides been re-located.

Speaking successful the Commons connected Tuesday, Shabana Mahmood said: "Misinformation and inflammatory commentary is making a dreadful concern adjacent worse.

"We indispensable all, together, condemn it, and we indispensable besides let the facts to beryllium established to the due investigations and the courts, and we indispensable bash truthful calmly and responsibly."

Hill added: "They've [Henry Nowak's family] been done a horrendous clip already, this didn't request to happen."

The execution of Nowak and the consequent constabulary effect person prompted accusations of alleged two-tier policing by some.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Chief Constable Alexis Boon said helium did not recognise this term, telling the BBC helium saw officers "day in, time out" doing their occupation for each communities.

Digwa was fixed a beingness condemnation for murder, with a minimum of 21 years successful situation for stabbing Nowak with what helium said was a ceremonial weapon carried arsenic portion of his Sikh religion.

Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is expected to study connected the lawsuit wrong the adjacent 3 months.