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Police officer cleared of murdering Chris Kaba Police officer cleared of murdering Chris Kaba
(about 3 hours later)
Chris Kaba, was shot during a police vehicle stop in Streatham, south London, in September 2022Chris Kaba, was shot during a police vehicle stop in Streatham, south London, in September 2022
A police officer has been cleared of murdering a man he shot in the head in south London two years ago.A police officer has been cleared of murdering a man he shot in the head in south London two years ago.
Martyn Blake, 40, shot Chris Kaba, who was unarmed, during a police vehicle stop in Streatham in September 2022. The officer had said he did not mean to kill him but feared lives were in danger. Martyn Blake, 40, shot Chris Kaba, who was unarmed, during a police vehicle stop in Streatham in September 2022.
Mr Kaba's family said they had been left with a sense of injustice and were "devastated". Speaking after the verdict at the Old Bailey on Monday, Mr Kaba's family said it was "painful proof that our lives are not valued by the system".
But Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said "no police officer was above the law but the system of holding firearms officer to account was broken". Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: "No police officer is above the law, but we have been clear the system holding police to account is broken."
Sheeda Queen, a cousin of Mr Kaba, described "a deep pain of injustice, adding to the unbearable sorrow"
Mr Blake, who denied intending to kill the 24-year-old, took a deep breath as the jury's decision was read out, but otherwise did not react to the not guilty verdict.Mr Blake, who denied intending to kill the 24-year-old, took a deep breath as the jury's decision was read out, but otherwise did not react to the not guilty verdict.
The Met said the officer, who was suspended throughout the process, will be immediately reinstated. The Met said the officer, who was suspended throughout the process, would be immediately reinstated.
People gathered outside the Old Bailey on Monday evening after police officer Martyn Blake was acquitted of the murder of Chris Kaba
Mr Kaba, who was due to become a father, had been followed by police because the car he was driving had been linked to a previous shooting in Brixton.
Jurors heard Mr Kaba drove backwards and forwards trying to ram his way free, which Mr Blake said made him believe one of his colleagues would be killed, and he opened fire to stop the car.
Mr Kaba died from a single gunshot wound to the forehead.
One of Mr Blake's fellow firearms officers told the court he would have taken a shot if Mr Blake had not, and another said he was "fractions of a second" away from doing the same.
Helen Lumuanganu and Prosper Kaba, the mother and father of Chris Kaba, arriving at the Old Bailey on MondayHelen Lumuanganu and Prosper Kaba, the mother and father of Chris Kaba, arriving at the Old Bailey on Monday
During the trial at the Old Bailey, the court heard Mr Kaba was due to be a father. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner said Mr Blake had paid "a huge personal and professional sacrifice" over the past two years since the shooting.
He had been followed by police because the Audi car he was driving had been linked to a shooting in Brixton the night before. Sir Mark said the officer had made "a split second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and to protect London".
Jurors heard that Mr Kaba drove backwards and forwards trying to ram his way free, which Mr Blake said made him believe one of his colleagues was about to die, and so he opened fire to stop the car. He criticised the systems used to hold police officers who take lethal shots to account.
A fellow firearms officer known as DS87 said he would have taken a shot if Mr Blake had not, and another identified by the cypher E156 said he was "fractions of a second" away from doing the same.
Another, NX109, got the finger of his glove caught in the Audi's door handle and just managed to wrench it free as it moved forward, telling the jury he thought he would be dragged between it and a Tesla parked nearby.
Mr Kaba died from a single gunshot wound, which was fired through the windscreen of the Audi Q8.
Mr Blake had told the court: "I had a genuine belief that there was an imminent threat to life.
"If I hadn’t of acted I thought one of the colleagues would have been dead."
Bodycam footage shows moments before Chris Kaba shot
At the time of Mr Kaba's death, the shooting sparked protests across the country, with rapper Stormzy among hundreds of protesters who gathered to give support to his family.
Signs reading "Black Lives Matter" and "Justice for Chris Kaba" were held up.
Following Mr Blake's acquittal, Mr Kaba's family said: "The not guilty verdict leaves us with the deep pain of injustice adding to the unbearable sorrow we have felt since Chris was killed.
"No family should endure the unimaginable grief we have faced. Chris was stolen from us, and this decision shows his life — and many others like him — does not matter to the system. Our son deserved better."
Their statement continued: "The acquittal of Martyn Blake isn’t just a failure for our family, but for all those affected by police violence."
The family thanked supporters and added that "despite this verdict, we won’t be silenced" and they will "continue fighting for Chris, for justice, and for real change".
The jury of nine men and three women reached their decision after they deliberated for about three hours.
Following the verdict, Mr Justice Goss thanked them, saying they displayed diligence and care during the trial.
Sir Mark said Mr Blake had paid "a huge personal and professional sacrifice" over the past two years since the shooting.
He said the officer had made "a split second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and to protect London".
Sir Mark also criticised the systems used to hold police officers who take lethal shots to account.
"I worry about the lack of support officers face for doing their best, but most of all, I worry for the public," he said."I worry about the lack of support officers face for doing their best, but most of all, I worry for the public," he said.
"The more we crush the spirit of good officers, the less they can fight crime - that risks London becoming less safe.""The more we crush the spirit of good officers, the less they can fight crime - that risks London becoming less safe."
In protest after Mr Blake was charged with murder, more than 100 firearms officers turned in their permits that allowed them to carry weapons.
Bodycam footage shows moments before Chris Kaba shot
Mr Kaba's family said they were devastated by the verdict and the acquittal of Martyn Blake "wasn't just a failure for our family, but for all those affected by police violence".
A gathering of about 150 people held a vigil outside the Old Bailey on Monday evening, some holding signs with slogans including "this is not justice" and "police are perpetrators".
Earlier, Sheeda Queen, a cousin of Mr Kaba, and a member of the Justice for Chris campaign group, described "a deep pain of injustice, adding to the unbearable sorrow".
Another campaigner, Kayza Rose, said the outcome "reinforces the harsh reality that police can kill without consequence.
"No one can be safe while the police can kill with impunity."
She added: "This verdict is not the end. It only strengthens our resolve.
"Now is the time to join and fight for a future where justice and accountability are the norm, and no one is above the law."
A third member of the campaign group, Temi Mwale, said: "The fight for accountability, for justice, and for racial equality has spanned decades.
"We honour all those who have contributed to that fight. Those that came before us, whose shoulders we stand on today.
"We are reminded that there is nothing for us in this criminal, legal system.
"There was very little faith we could invest in this court because it has never, ever produced a successful murder conviction of any on-duty police officer.
"The only thing that the police deliver to our communities is pain."
A vigil was held outside the Central Criminal Court after the verdict
Ms Mwale added: "We haven't stood for it before and we will continue to fight until our last breath, until we are in our graves - and from the afterlife as ancestors, we will strengthen the next generation so that they can fight.
"We believe that our grandchildren will have to continue fighting.
"Who wants to live in a society where the police can shoot unarmed people in the forehead and be faced with no consequences?
"Martyn Blake didn't spend but a second in a handcuff, not a second in a jail cell.
"Our lives will never matter to this system, but it's fine.
"We matter to each other. We matter to ourselves and we will fight for our rights. No justice. No peace."
Chris Kaba rapped under the name of Mad Itch
Listen to In Court: Chris Kaba Killing - Police Officer on Trial twice weekly on BBC SoundsListen to In Court: Chris Kaba Killing - Police Officer on Trial twice weekly on BBC Sounds
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), will now consider whether Mr Blake should face a disciplinary hearing.The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), will now consider whether Mr Blake should face a disciplinary hearing.
IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: "The past few weeks must have been incredibly difficult and distressing for Chris’s family who have sat through the trial, listened to all the evidence and witnessed his final moments played out in court.
"We also recognise the impact that this trial has had on the officer involved, as well as his firearms colleagues and the wider policing community."
She added: "We appreciate this trial will have been of significant public interest, and particularly so within our Black communities."
Frank Ferguson, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said the decision to prosecute was made "after an in-depth consideration of all the available evidence".Frank Ferguson, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said the decision to prosecute was made "after an in-depth consideration of all the available evidence".
He said: "We recognise that firearms officers operate under enormous pressure, but it is our responsibility to put cases before a jury that meet our test for prosecution, and we are satisfied that test was met in this case. He said: "We recognise that firearms officers operate under enormous pressure, but it is our responsibility to put cases before a jury that meet our test for prosecution, and we are satisfied that test was met in this case."
"It is therefore right that the case was put before the jury for them to scrutinise and to decide." Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Criminal prosecutions brought against police officers for actions taken in the course of their duties are extremely rare. Each day, police officers across the country work hard with bravery and integrity to keep the public safe."
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For two years since the death of Chris Kaba, this has been a very difficult case, causing deep concerns for communities, for police officers and of course causing real distress for the families most closely affected.
“Criminal prosecutions brought against police officers for actions taken in the course of their duties are extremely rare. Each day, police officers across the country work hard with bravery and integrity to keep the public safe."
She said it was "important both that the police have the confidence of communities they serve and that officers have the support and confidence they need to do the difficult job of keeping us safe".
The government was "committed" to working with policing to strengthen confidence for the future, she added.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he understood the impact Mr Kaba's death has had and the "anger, pain and fear it has caused".
"I respect the decision made by the jury today following a full examination of a large amount of evidence - including video from the incident," he said in a statement.
"In London, we police by consent. When anyone loses their life following contact with the police, it's important that it is properly and thoroughly investigated, which is what's happened in this case."
He said there was a "wider lack of trust in the police, particularly within the black community, that needs to be addressed", but he would continue to work with the government to support and hold the Metropolitan Police to account "to ensure any lessons are learnt and the Met commands the trust of all Londoners as we build a safer London for everyone".
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