Elon Musk has offered to fully fund a civil lawsuit against police officers who, according to the victim’s family and witnesses, contributed to the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak by leaving him bloodied and handcuffed on the ground instead of providing immediate medical assistance.
Musk publicly declared that he would cover all legal costs associated with a civil case against officers from Hampshire Police over the tragic events that unfolded in Southampton on December 3, 2025. The Tesla and SpaceX founder sharply criticized the officers’ conduct, describing it as “unacceptable.”
Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old first-year Accounting and Finance student at the University of Southampton, was stabbed multiple times with a Sikh ceremonial knife by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa. Despite suffering severe injuries, the police officers who arrived at the scene focused first on the attacker, listening to his account of alleged “racist abuse,” while Nowak lay on the ground bleeding heavily and repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.”
Medical assistance was not called until the young man lost consciousness. By then, it was too late. Henry Nowak died at the scene from blood loss.
In recent days, Digwa was convicted of murder. However, the victim’s family and a significant portion of public opinion argue that the case exposed double standards within policing, where concerns about accusations of racism took precedence over the urgent need to save the victim’s life.
Musk posted on X urging users to share footage of Nowak’s final moments and claimed that police had “treated the victim unfairly,” while mainstream media outlets remained silent in order to protect the attacker. His post quickly went viral around the world.
The billionaire’s offer was enthusiastically welcomed by groups demanding accountability from the police, but it also sparked a heated debate about emergency response procedures in life-threatening situations and the role of social media in breaking what critics describe as the silence of traditional media outlets.
Hampshire Police has not yet issued a detailed statement regarding the possibility of a civil lawsuit.