Met Police officer who shot Chris Kaba found not guilty
Chris Kaba was shot and killed in south east London in 2022
PA
The police firearms officer who fatally shot Chris Kaba has been found not guilty of murder.
Martyn Blake, 40, faced trial at the Old Bailey after Kaba, 24, was shot through the front windscreen of an Audi Q8 in Streatham, south-east London, on September 5, 2022.
The vehicle was blocked in by police at Kirkstall Gardens after an officer spotted its registration plate.
Kaba repeatedly drove forwards and backwards in an attempt to break free, leading Blake to believe that one of his colleagues was in imminent danger of being killed, the court heard.
Martyn Blake, the police marksman who shot and killed Chris Kaba, has been cleared of murderPAA fellow firearms officer, identified as DS87, testified that he would have taken the shot had Blake not done so.
Another officer, known as E156, stated he was "fractions of a second" away from firing as well.
A third officer, NX109, recounted how he feared being dragged between the car and a nearby Tesla when his glove got caught in the Audi’s door handle as it moved forward.
Prosecutors alleged that Blake had miscalculated the danger, overstated the threat to his colleagues in statements following the shooting, and had deliberately aimed at Kaba’s head—allegations he firmly denied.
In his defence, jurors were presented with glowing character references from colleagues and senior officers.
Defence counsel Patrick Gibbs KC emphasised that Blake was no "RoboCop" with split-second, machine-like reactions.
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He told the court: “He is not a robot but a human being, with a human brain, who acted to the best of his ability.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is now set to review whether Blake should face disciplinary action.
The jury deliberated for around three hours on Monday to clear Blake who appeared to be briefly overcome with emotion as the verdict was returned.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has defended its decision to refer the shooting of Chris Kaba to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: "Armed policing plays a crucial part in protecting our communities and keeping the public safe from danger.
A construction of the fatal incident was shown in court with police cars blocking in Chris Kaba's Audi
IOPC
"Firearms officers can, and do, find themselves in extremely dangerous and volatile situations where they are forced to make difficult and quick decisions under intense pressure.
"It’s important to recognise that fatal police shootings are rare, particularly in relation to the volume of incidents firearms officers are called to attend."
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said 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".
Rowley took aim at the systems used to hold police officers who take lethal shots to account.
He said: "No police officer is above the law, but we have been clear that the system holding police to account is broken.
"I worry about the lack of support officers face for doing their best, but most of all, I worry for the public.
"The more we crush the spirit of good officers, the less they can fight crime that risks London becoming less safe."