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BBC News1 min read
Woman falsely identified as officer in Nowak case 'scared for safety'
TL;DR
Christi Hill, a former police officer, is hiding in a safe house after being falsely identified as involved in Henry Nowak's arrest and death. She criticized AI chatbot Grok for misidentifying her and causing threats against her safety.
Key points
- Christi Hill is a former police officer.
- She was wrongly identified by social media and AI as involved in Nowak's case.
- Hill has received threats of violence due to this misidentification.
- She criticized AI chatbot Grok for causing chaos.
- Nowak was fatally stabbed after being restrained by police.
Mentioned in this story
Christi HillHenry NowakVickrum DigwaHampshire ConstabularyxAI
Grok
A former police officer wrongly identified as being at the scene of Henry Nowak's arrest and subsequent death has said she is scared for her safety and has been hiding in a safe house.
Christi Hill said she left Hampshire Constabulary in April 2024 - more than a year before Nowak was fatally stabbed in December 2025 - and told BBC Verify she was wrongly identified by social media users and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok, leading to "threats of violence".
Hill criticised Grok, which is part of Elon Musk's xAI group, for the "chaos" it caused by misidentifying her, and Hampshire police for not publicly confirming she was not involved.
Hampshire Constabulary and xAI have been approached for comment.
There has been widespread outrage after bodycam footage showed police officers putting 18-year-old university student Nowak in handcuffs as he lay dying, after his killer Vickrum Digwa claimed he had been the victim of a racial attack.
The footage showed the teenager repeatedly tell officers that he had been stabbed, with one replying: "I don't think so mate".
Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years for murder.
BBC Verify has also obtained evidence that current police officer Tristan Parsons, who was also wrongly accused online of being involved, was not in the country at the time of Nowak's murder.
He is also in hiding.
A jury inquest into Nowak's death next year will look at whether any "act or omission by a police officer" caused or contributed to his death in Southampton.
Musk has also been criticised by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who accused him of trying to "whip up division" in the UK over Nowak's murder.
The billionaire X owner has posted numerous times on the platform about the police's response to the stabbing, criticising "how heinously Nowak was treated by the police in his dying moments".
Sir Keir told reporters on Thursday: "We need to also assert who we are as a country, because Musk, again, has been interfering in our politics in the last few days, trying to whip up division – that is not who we are in Britain...
"When we have a terrible case like Henry's case, Henry Nowak, we react calmly, as his family have done."
Hill said she first became aware of the false posts around 03:00 BST on Tuesday when she started receiving notifications.
"I just couldn't believe it, it was just picture after picture... after opening the messages and social media it was an onslaught from the beginning really," she said, speaking from an undisclosed location.
"I didn't really understand where this was coming from.
"There were loads of posts saying extreme violence should be given to all the officers that have been identified.
Q&A
Why is Christi Hill hiding in a safe house?
Christi Hill is hiding in a safe house due to threats of violence after being falsely identified as involved in Henry Nowak's arrest.
What role did the AI chatbot Grok play in Christi Hill's situation?
The AI chatbot Grok misidentified Christi Hill as being at the scene of Henry Nowak's arrest, leading to public outrage and threats against her.
What happened to Henry Nowak during his arrest?
Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed after being handcuffed by police officers, who were criticized for their handling of the situation.
What has been the response from Hampshire Constabulary regarding Christi Hill's misidentification?
Hampshire Constabulary has been approached for comment but has not publicly confirmed Christi Hill's non-involvement in the case.
