Posting on X on Tuesday, Musk wrote: “Send the video to everyone you know showing how heinously Nowak was treated by the police in his dying moments and how the police cravenly kowtowed to his murderer.
“Legacy mainstream media, same ones who wrote about George Floyd millions of times, are dead silent about Nowak.”
Floyd died of a heart attack caused by neck compression, caused by a police officer handcuffing him before kneeling on his neck, and his murder sparked global protests against racism and police brutality.
In a visit to York on Thursday, Sir Keir accused Musk of interfering in British politics and stressed the grieving family had appealed for calm.
He said: “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.
“In Britain, we are reasonable, tolerant people.
“When we have a terrible case like Henry’s case, Henry Nowak, we react calmly, as his family have done.”
On Thursday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch posted on X, external that she had met Nowak’s mother, father and stepmother, and praised their courage.
She wrote: “They have asked that we work across political parties and religions to rebuild trust in the police. That trust has been broken because of what happened, and I agree with them on that.
“We must also be prepared to examine, carefully and seriously, religious practices or exemptions that permit the carrying of dangerous weapons in public, and other activities that are not conducive to the public good. We also need to examine where the law needs to change.”
Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years for murder on Monday, after which Henry Nowak’s father, Mark, appealed for calm outside the court.
He said: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We want his story to make our streets safer for everyone.”
Sir Keir said the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), was investigating the officers’ behaviour and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) guidance around race was being looked at as a result of the case.
Asked whether he supported calls from the Conservatives for a full misconduct investigation to be launched against the police officers involved, Sir Keir said: “I think it’s right that there may need to be changes and we shouldn’t shy away from that, not for one moment.
“But how we conduct ourselves now as politicians is really important.
“And I call on all politicians, all politicians, to just listen again to what the family are asking of us, which is to remain calm, to show the leadership that’s needed here and not allow this case to be used to whip up division.”
