Armed police officers to remain anonymous unless found guilty - after Chris Kaba gun cop ‘had bounty put on his head’
23 October 2024, 13:44 | Updated: 23 October 2024, 13:55
Armed police officers who are charged following a police shooting will remain anonymous under government plans.
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Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that the assumption of anonymity would stay in place until they’ve been convicted.
It’s after outrage was sparked over the naming of Sergeant Martyn Blake ahead of his trial, where he was cleared of the murder of Chris Kaba in south London.
He’s been forced into hiding, with round-the-clock protection, after Kaba’s gang placed a £10,000 bounty on his head.
As part of a review into the accountability of armed police officers – which began last year – the Home Office will also now hold a ‘rapid independent review’ into the threshold at which use of force cases against armed officers are sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.
As it stands, the IOPC watchdog would refer a case for a charging decision if there were to be any indication of criminality.
It’s a much lower threshold than is in place for members of the public, who need to have a reasonable prospect of conviction to be charged.
Dozens of marksmen stepped back from their duties after the charging, and naming, of Martyn Blake who previously was known as NX121.
A challenge by several media outlets argued he should be named in the principle of open justice and public interest, despite concerns raised about his safety.
The judge, Mark Lucraft KC, decided the risks could be managed and agreed to lift part of the anonymity order ahead of the trial.
