I was there when Chris Kaba died. The NX121 ruling lets us firearms officers get on with the job
Officers need confidence that if they act within the law and in accordance with their training, they will be judged fairly and consistently, writes a former Met Police firearms officer
The news that NX121 will be spared the stress of a misconduct investigation and keep his job will be welcomed across policing, especially by his family, friends and colleagues.
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This is encouraging not just because of the outcome, but because it comes as a result of a change in the law rather than the chance contribution of some favourable decision-maker.
That gives officers something they've wanted for a long time: consistency.
Firearms officers have never argued against scrutiny. We understand that using force must come with accountability. But it has to be a process that is fair and applied consistently, not one that appears to depend on the type of crime, political persuasion of the area where it happened or even the ethnicity of those involved.
That's all firearms officers have ever asked for: a process that is rigorous, accountable and fair.
NX121 should never have been put through everything he has faced. He lost his anonymity, was charged with murder, put through a stressful trial and endured an extraordinary amount of public condemnation. That has had a huge impact on him and those close to him.
At the same time, I have sympathy for Chris Kaba's parents and family, who continue to grieve their loss, who are still grieving and who seem to be constantly fed the damaging mistruth that they have been denied justice.
It's undoubtedly tragic that Chris's choices led to his death at the hands of the state.
But tragedy does not automatically mean wrongdoing.
The legal process has now concluded, and the finding is that NX121 did not breach the professional standards expected of a firearms officer. On the contrary, in extremely difficult and unwelcome circumstances, he demonstrated those standards.
For policing, this is encouraging news. Officers need confidence that if they act within the law and in accordance with their training, they will be judged fairly and consistently. That ultimately benefits not just the police, but the public they serve.
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Former Metropolitan Police firearms officer Will, a friend and colleague of NX121, was on the operation when Chris Kaba was killed.
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