By Chris Williamson-
The family of Chris Kaba today said they were “devastated” after misconduct proceedings against the officer who shot him dead were paused.
The 24-year-old was fatally shot by Metropolitan Police officer Martyn Blake after trying to ram his way past police cars in Streatham, south-east London, in September 2022.
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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced its decision to wait to issue gross misconduct papers against Blake, as a legal change is expected to come into force over the tests used to bring criminal charges and misconduct proceedings against officers over use of force.
The decision to halt proceedings comes a s a blow to Kaba’s family, who were hoping to gain some closure in this matter.
Police said Kaba had been wanted for a shooting in Bromley, southeast London, on 22 May 2022, in which two people were targeted with a shotgun, and which was linked to the same vehicle Kaba was driving on the day he was killed by police.
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Although police found no weapon on Kaba or his vehicle on that fateful day, they found a balaclava in his pocket, and gun residue on his sleeves, which prosecutors argued could have come from one of the firearm officers. The presiding judge ruled during the hearing that this fact was to be kept away from jurors in order not to prejudice the trial.
The Audi was also used as one of two getaway vehicles the night before Kaba was killed after three masked men fired a shotgun twice at unknown targets outside a Brixton school, jurors were told.
When jurors gave their verdict, a note was passed to the judge by jurors, which they wanted read out, but a judge declined the request, dismissing approval from the media and Kaba’s lawyers for the note to be read out.
The decision to halt the misconduct proceedings comes as a blow to Kaba’s family, who had been hoping for closure on this matter.
IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said the watchdog recognised “the impact of this case on everyone affected, and it isn’t our intention to delay matters any more than necessary”.
But she added: “It’s important that our decision takes account of impending changes to the use of force standard.”
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said the “pause” over whether to bring disciplinary proceedings should be “as short as possible”.
“NX121’s life has been effectively on hold for more than three years, and every additional delay prolongs the stress and uncertainty that he and his family are living with,” he said, using the cipher Mr Blake was identified by before a judge allowed him to be publicly identified.
“We also recognise that this delay will be felt deeply by Mr Kaba’s family, who continue to grieve their loss.”
A helicopter and six police cars were involved in stopping Mr Kaba after the Audi Q8 he was driving had been linked to a shooting outside a school in nearby Brixton the previous evening.
Mr Kaba had turned into Kirkstall Gardens, where Mr Blake was inside a marked police BMW, before trying to make his escape.
In a statement through the charity Inquest, Mr Kaba’s family said: “Martyn Blake fatally shot Chris when he was unarmed and without knowing who he was.
“Until today, Martyn Blake was quite correctly facing imminent disciplinary proceedings for that use of force.
“We cannot understand why we, as Chris’s family, only learned for the first time today that the Met invited the IOPC to drop proceedings against Martyn Blake back in November.”
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