'Devastated' family of Chris Kaba say they will 'continue fighting' after Met marksman cleared of murder
21 October 2024, 18:53 | Updated: 22 October 2024, 11:50
The "devastated" family of Chris Kaba have said they will "continue fighting" after a Met Police marksman was cleared of murder earlier.
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Martyn Blake shot the 24-year-old who was unarmed during a vehicle stop in Streatham in September of 2022.
The car had been used as a getaway vehicle in a shooting the previous evening, and was hemmed in by police cars in Kirkstall Gardens after an officer recognised its registration number.
The car he was driving had been involved in a shooting in Brixton the night before.
Mr Kaba drove backwards and forwards trying to ram his way free, which Mr Blake told jurors made him believe one of his colleagues was about to die, and so he opened fire to stop the car.
Following the verdict, Mr Kaba's family including his parents, who sat through more than two weeks of painstaking analysis of their son's death, pledged to "continue fighting" following the verdict.
'Unimaginable grief'
They issued a statement that said: "Today, we are devastated.
"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."
Breaking: Officer who shot Chris Kaba cleared of murder
After Martyn Blake was cleared, video footage was released showing the events that unfolded on September 5 2022.
The Crown Prosecution Service released footage featuring police bodycam video from multiple angles. In the video police can be seen swarming around Mr Kaba’s car. Two officers can be heard shouting “show me your hands”.
There is another shout of “show me your hands” while the car moves forwards and backwards.
A single shot rings out and someone can be heard shouting “ we've got shots fired, shots fired.”
A cry of “where from, where from” is then heard, before someone answers “round the front” – followed by shouts of “first aid, first aid”.
Police bodycam shows moment Chris Kaba is shot
Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct will now consider whether Mr Blake should face a disciplinary hearing.
Mr Blake had never fired a gun at a human being, or seen a gun fired at a human being, before the night Mr Kaba died.
Jurors heard that those close to Mr Blake had been hesitant about him becoming a police marksman but that he felt it was "the best job" in the Metropolitan Police.
The jury of nine men and three women had asked to make a statement to the court alongside their verdict, but permission was denied by Mr Justice Goss.
Official figures show that in England and Wales in the year to March 2023 there were 18,395 police firearms operations.
Police weapons were deliberately fired at 10 of these incidents, resulting in three fatalities.
