Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said there are "serious questions for police" following the release of bodycam footage showing officers’ response to the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Southampton university student Henry Nowak.
The footage emerged after Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years for murdering Nowak.
The video shows Nowak being handcuffed after Digwa falsely claimed he had been the victim of a racist attack, while the teenager repeatedly told officers he had been stabbed and could not breathe.
Starmer described the footage as "really harrowing" and said questions over how allegations of racism influenced decision-making must be examined.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is continuing an investigation into the actions of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and is expected to report within three months.
Starmer said he would not rule out a wider inquiry once that process is complete.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called the footage disturbing and stressed that policing must be conducted without fear or favour.
The force has apologised to the Nowak family, who described Henry’s treatment as "inhumane and degrading".
Mark Nowak said his son repeatedly told officers he had been stabbed and could not breathe before being arrested.
Three officers involved remain in service, while one has resigned.
Separate reviews have also been requested into police training, control room performance and aspects of national policing guidance.
The case has triggered political debate, public protests and calls for further scrutiny.
Several hundred people gathered in Southampton on Tuesday evening, with clashes reported between protesters and riot police.
Mahmood condemned the unrest as "completely unacceptable" and urged that Henry Nowak’s death not be used to create division.
Hampshire Police Federation also criticised calls for "vigilante justice" against officers, warning that some personnel had been wrongly identified online and subjected to threats.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s Office is considering requests to review Digwa’s sentence under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.
Digwa’s family apologised to both the Nowak family and the Sikh community, saying the tragedy should not be used to inflame hostility.
The case has also prompted discussion over religious exemptions allowing practising Sikhs to carry ceremonial blades, though ministers indicated there were no immediate plans to review the exemption.