The Trump administration has condemned what it describes as “two-tiered policing” in Britain following the killing of teenager Henry Nowak, parroting a claim from Nigel Farage that has sparked outrage.
Henry Nowak, 18, was fatally knifed in Southampton last December by Vickrum Digwa, 23, before being restrained in handcuffs by officers as he lay bleeding to death in the road.
After the footage emerged, Hampshire Constabulary issued an apology to Mr Nowak’s relatives for the anguish caused by the officers’ conduct, admitting errors were made in how the situation was managed.
In a response posted on social media, the US State Department said: “Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilisational decline,” the statement read. “They must be rejected across the West.
“The United States sends our condolences to the family of Henry Nowak and the people of the United Kingdom at this troubling time.”
The words echo those of Mr Farage, who argued in Commons on Wednesday that the UK has “two-tier policing” and that officers are told to treat different ethnic groups differently.
He said: “Following the horrendous circumstances of Henry Nowak’s death, can I urge the Prime Minister to consider this: it is now clear to growing millions in this country that we are living under two-tier policing.
“The instructions that are given to police officers from police bosses are clear and written down in ink. It says you must treat different ethnic groups in different ways.
“Apart from the upset and the anger at the circumstances of his death, the anger that you saw spilling out in Southampton last night, which is in danger of getting considerably worse…
“If the public lose trust in being treated fairly by the police, can he (Sir Keir) take some action, end this divisive practice of two-tier policing, and make sure that all British citizens are treated the same?”
Sir Keir Starmer said Nigel Farage’s “appeal for rage” in response to the death of Mr Nowak was “unforgivable”.
Sir Keir replied: “I don’t believe there’s two-tier policing in this country. I’m really shocked that he pretends to have respect for Henry’s family and then acts in this way.
“The grieving family have asked us not to respond in the way that the leader of Reform has responded. They’ve asked us not to. They have lost their son in the most appalling circumstance. They make a simple plea of us as human beings to please not exploit that. That is their plea to us.
“We all need to reflect on those words of Henry’s father. My response, and the response of others to be fair, has been focused on the lessons to be learned, so we can deliver justice.“His (Mr Farage’s) response has been to appeal for rage, rage. That’s his response to a father who has lost his son and asked for that not to happen.
“Exploiting this tragedy to create grievance and division would be wrong in any circumstances, but to do it when the family are expressly saying ‘please don’t’ is unforgivable. It shows exactly who he is.”
Digwa, who inflicted the fatal blow using a ceremonial Sikh dagger known as a kirpan, received a life sentence for the killing on Monday.
The murder has sparked widespread demonstrations across Britain, with crowds of campaigners flooding the streets calling for justice for Nowak.
Hampshire’s Chief Constable Alexis Boon has apologised to the family of Mr Nowak but described the scenes on the streets of Southampton as “disgraceful”, after eleven police officers were injured and two people were arrested as protests escalated.
Article continues below
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) says it will review this document and is “listening to legitimate concerns” about it – and No 10 says the body is “rightly” seeking to remove “ambiguity”.