AT long last the public are now aware of the full facts surrounding the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba by Met firearms officer Martyn Blake.
Mr Justice Henry delayed his decision to lift reporting restrictions about Kaba’s appalling background until this morning.
7
7
7
7
He was caught by surprise when the jury returned their verdict after deliberating for just three hours.
By keeping the public in the dark about Kaba, in my opinion the judge risked provoking public disorder.
A peaceful protest of around 125 of Kaba’s supporters took place at the Old Bailey on Monday night.
Back in August 2011 another demo outside Tottenham police station over the police shooting of Mark Duggan, led to nationwide riots.
I felt sorry for the callers to radio talk shows expressing their anger over the shooting of Chris Kaba in the wake of Sgt Blake’s acquittal.
They were not armed with the full picture.
Public and jurors deserved to know Kaba’s violent history – why was it hidden?
y Mike Sullivan, Crime Editor
AT long last the public are now aware of the full facts surrounding the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba by Met firearms officer Martyn Blake.
Mr Justice Henry delayed his decision to lift reporting restrictions about Kaba’s appalling background until this morning.
He was then caught by surprise when the jury returned their verdict after deliberating for just three hours.
By keeping the public in the dark about Kaba, in my opinion the judge risked provoking public disorder.
A peaceful protest of around 125 of Kaba’s supporters took place at the Old Bailey on Monday night.
Back in August 2011 another demo outside Tottenham police station over the police shooting of Mark Duggan, led to nationwide riots.
I felt sorry for the callers to radio talk shows expressing their anger over the shooting of Chris Kaba in the wake of Sgt Blake’s acquittal.
They were not armed with the full picture.
Kaba did not deserve to die and his death is a tragedy for his loved ones and for everyone involved in the case.
But neither was he just the loving father-to-be and construction worker which he was portrayed as.
The jury deserved to know he was a gangster with a history of crime and linked to two shootings in the week before his death.
It provided a potential explanation over why Kaba tried so desperately hard to ram his way free of the police trap.
Likewise, the public also had a right to know the full facts as soon as criminal proceedings ended.
The delay by the judge created a false impression of a case which has touched a raw nerve in our communities.
It also created an unnecessary risk of disorder on our streets
Kaba did not deserve to die and his death is a tragedy for his loved ones and for everyone involved in the case.
But neither was he just the loving father-to-be and construction worker which he was portrayed as.
The jury deserved to know he was a gangster with a history of crime and linked to two shootings in the week before his death.
It provided a potential explanation over why Kaba tried so desperately hard to ram his way free of the police trap.
Likewise, the public also had a right to know the full facts as soon as criminal proceedings ended.
The delay by the judge created a false impression of a case which has touched a raw nerve in our communities.
It also created an unnecessary risk of disorder on our streets.
TIMELINE OF THE PROBE
THIS is how events unfolded two years ago.
August 30, 2022: CCTV footage allegedly captured the moment Kaba opened fire on a rival in a nightclub in Hackney.
September 4, 2022: Kaba’s Audi Q8 was linked to a shotgun attack on a car containing two people outside a Brixton school.
September 5, 2022: A Tactical Firearms Commander is made aware of the sighting of the Audi Q8, driven by Chris Kaba, after ANPR camera flags up its alleged involvement in the previous shooting.
The commander declares a firearms incident and passes tactics to an armed response team. Armed officers pursue the car, which is forced to a stop at 10.07pm in Streatham Hill, South London.
As Mr Kaba revs the engine, an officer standing in front of the car fires a single shot through the windscreen.
September 6: Mr Kaba dies in hospital at 0.19am. The Metropolitan Police refers itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
September 7: Statement by Mr Kaba’s family’s calls for a murder investigation.
September 12: Met confirm Officer NX121 has been suspended from frontline duties
September 20, 2023: Officer charged with murder by the Crown Prosecution Service. Hundreds of colleagues reportedly turn in their weapons permits.
March 8, 2024: Judge lifts anonymity order, naming Martyn Blake as the officer.
October 21, 2024: Blake is cleared of murder, with jurors at the Old Bailey taking just three hours to reach a unanimous verdict.
7
7
7
