A former police officer has been forced to move to a safe house after she was falsely accused by AI and social media users of being one of the arresting officers in the Henry Nowak murder case.
Christi Hill, who left her job as a police constable in Portsmouth, near Southampton, 20 months before the murder, said she was scared for her safety after the wrong information spread.
Police officers in Southampton in December handcuffed Henry Nowak after he had been attacked by Vickrum Digwa, who was later jailed for life. Digwa lied, claiming he had been racially abused by the 18-year-old.
But as Mr Nowak lay dying and said he had been stabbed, one officer replied: “Don’t think you have, mate”. Hampshire Constabulary has been sharply criticised for its response to the incident.
open image in galleryGrok, the AI service of X – formerly Twitter, wrongly identified Hill and another officer as among those involved in the case.
Some Facebook users also shared her name and photograph, saying she had been involved.
But Ms Hill had left the force nearly two years before the murder.
She wrote: “I am writing this post with a heavy heart, both out of deep sadness for a tragic event and out of a necessity to protect my reputation, safety and peace of mind.
“Today, my name and image have been widely circulated on social media, and now by AI platforms such as Grok, falsely identifying me as one of the arresting officers in the Henry Nowak case.
“To be absolutely clear, I was not involved in this incident. In fact, I left Hampshire Constabulary in April 2024. The tragic events involving Henry Nowak occurred in December 2025.
“The confusion stems from a national police bravery award media release. A photo of myself and a former colleague who has also been wrongfully targeted is being repeatedly shared and misattributed to this case.
“It is alarming to see how quickly a piece of outdated media can be weaponised by algorithms and accepted as fact by AI platforms, despite being factually impossible.”
open image in galleryShe said it was is deeply unsettling to have her name wrongly attached to such a high-profile and sensitive matter, and said there had been a lack of support from Hampshire Constabulary in rectifying the false narrative.
“My primary thoughts remain with the family affected by this tragedy. They deserve justice and clarity, not the noise of online misinformation,” she added.
The former officer’s mum Nikki Hill told The News in Portsmouth: “It’s been terrible seeing her name and face all over the internet calling her a murderer.”
The Independent has asked Hampshire Constabulary to respond.
A spokesperson told the news site: “We know there has been significant commentary following the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa and we recognise the desire for answers about the police response that night.
“However, what we cannot accept is the significant spread of misinformation online by those intent on causing further fear and division by making threats to officers and sharing names that are simply not true.
“A police officer unrelated to this case has been misidentified online and subject to death threats.
open image in gallery“The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is continuing its independent investigation into our response on the night in question, following our self-referral the next day.
“While that progresses, we ask that people avoid harmful speculation online.”
Grok posted what appeared to be an apology, writing in a message on X: “This mistake fueled [sic] harmful online speculation, threats, and real distress, including forcing her into a safe house. I take responsibility.
“AI systems can err on identifications, especially with limited public details and unverified reports. I should have been more cautious and verified timelines rigorously before naming anyone.”