Former Portsmouth PC Christi Hill who was falsely accused of being at the arrest of Henry Nowak thanks those who helped set record straight

A former Portsmouth police officer who was forced into hiding after being wrongly identified as being at the arrest of Henry Nowak has thanked everyone who helped to set the record straight.

Former police officer Christi Hill and her one-time police partner PC Tristan Parsons were incorrectly named online as the arresting officers at the scene in Southampton when Henry died in December. He had been stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, who lied and said that Henry had racially abused him.

The release of bodyworn footage of the arrest sparked anger as it showed that the police officers who were there initially did not believe Henry when he said he had been stabbed and could not breathe. But despite what many people shared, Ms Hill was not at the scene. At that stage - December 2025 - she was not even working for Hampshire Constabulary, having left in April 2024. Such was the online fury expressed against her that she had to flee her home for a safe house.

The News was the first media outlet to report how she had become a victim of online misinformation, and the story was soon picked up by Good Morning Britain, GB News and other news websites and papers.

Now Ms Hill, who won a bravery award during her time with the police after being stabbed with a hypodermic needle while tackling a burglar, has thanked people who shared her own social media posts and also the media outlets which helped to reveal the truth of the situation.

Writing that she wanted to express her gratitude to everyone who had helped, she said: “The response has been overwhelming. From colleagues I’ve worked with throughout my career, to personal friends, down to complete strangers, so many of you went head-to-head with misinformation online. This massive display of "people power" was absolutely integral, especially given that Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary completely failed to step up and do the right thing and continue to do so where a public statement is concerned.

“As an organisation with a clear duty of care and a stated commitment to serve with courage, empathy, and respect their lack of action was a stark contrast to those core values. Your efforts to ensure false narratives were corrected, taken down, or stopped in their tracks filled that void, and it has meant more to me than I can properly express.

“I also want to extend a sincere thank you to the media outlets that stepped up. By allowing the space and time to cover this from all angles, you helped ensure the truth was heard above the noise and provided a vital counterweight to the unverified claims circulating online.”

Ms Hill also extended her sympathy to her erstwhile professional partner, PC Parsons, who she did not name in the post.

She wrote: “Crucially, I want to highlight the other individual pictured alongside me in that circulated photo. Unlike myself, he has not been afforded the opportunity to publicly defend himself against these false claims. It is my sincere hope that the collective message that has been pushed out has cleared his name as well, and that the truth has been received on his behalf.”

And finally Ms Hill issued a warning about unsubstantiated rumours and untruths that circulate online, which can cause damage. “More than anything,” she wrote on a LinkedIn post, “I hope this collective effort has culled a huge, unnecessary level of online nonsense. The Nowak family is dealing with an unimaginable tragedy, and the last thing they or anyone else involved needed was the distraction of fabricated internet noise. Thank you for proving that truth and integrity still matter, and for standing firm.”

Hampshire Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, confirmed that Ms Hill and PC Parsons had been wrongly identified. Hampshire Constabulary as yet has not commented on the situation, and has only said it will not name the officers who were involved.