Moment Chris Kaba rams police car seconds before he's shot dead by Met marksman who was cleared of murder

THIS is the moment Chris Kaba crashes into a police car seconds before he is shot dead by a Meta shooter.

Martyn Blake shot Kaba, 24, in the head through the windscreen of his Audi during a police check in Streatham, south London.

Chris Kaba was seen in the car

Kaba was seen trying to get between a police car and a parked Tesla

Armed officers surrounded the Audi on a residential roadCredit: Crown Prosecution Service

Chris was shot through the windshield Credit: Tim Stewart

Body shot of Chris Kaba moments before he was killed Credit: Crown Prosecution Service

Helicopter footage from a south London police station Credit: Crown Prosecution Service

Blake was acquitted of murder at the Old Bailey today.

His trial heard how Kaba was pulled over by officers after the Audi Q8 he was in was linked to a gun incident in nearby Brixton the night before.

Body shots of the officers and video surveillance cameras from their vehicles – released for the first time today – show the moments leading up to the fatal shot.

Footage shows officers following an Audi along residential streets before a tactical stop in Kirkstall Gardens on the night of September 5, 2022.

Surrounded by police on either side of his Audi, Kaba was then seen backing into one car before trying to wedge himself between the Tesla and the police vehicle.

There is the screeching sound of wheels turning and the Audi’s engine revving, before the sound of gunshots.

Body footage of Blake, referred to as NX121, shows him sprinting from the back seat of a police car, before he swerved around a parked car and stopped in front of Kaba’s Audi as he tried to break away.

Meetings Commissioner Mark Rowley: ‘I worry about the lack of face support officers’

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “The jury system is a cornerstone of the British justice system and today, after two weeks of evidence, 12 men and women acquitted Sgt Martyn Blake of murder.

“Over the past two years Sergeant Blake has paid great personal and professional sacrifice. This was an incredibly difficult time for him and his family, and he conducted himself with professionalism and dignity throughout.

“This case has had a huge impact on many. The family and friends of Chris Kaba are still grieving the loss of their loved one and today will be incredibly difficult for them.

“Today’s verdict is significant. No firearms officer goes on duty with the intention of ending a life. Their sole purpose is the complete opposite – protection and preservation of life.

“During the trial the jury heard significant details about the scenes that Sergeant Blake faced that night. They were told the car Mr. Kaba was driving was connected to a shooting the night before, the suspects were still at large and the gun had not been found.

“Armed officers bravely intervened without knowing what risks they were facing. The court heard that Mr Kaba tried to evade police, crashing his vehicle into others around him.

“Sergeant Blake made a split second decision about what he felt was necessary to protect his colleagues and London. The jury decided that this was an honest belief and that the force used was reasonable.

“Any fatal use of force understandably raises a great deal of concern among communities, particularly in black communities where trust in the police is low. We still have a lot to do to strengthen trust in our service, and we know that incidents like this put additional strain on already troubled relationships.

“No police officer is above the law, but it was clear to us that the system of holding the police accountable is broken. I worry about the lack of faces of the support officers who are doing their best, but I am most concerned about the public. The more we break the spirit of good cops, the less they can fight crime. This risks making London less safe. “

His colleagues were seen trying to break the windows of the Audi to get him away from the car.

One officer’s body camera shows them approaching the passenger side of the Audi, before shining a light through the window at Kaba.

Kaba then backs up and crashes into the space between the police car and the parked Tesla.

He was then shot in the head, before officers yelled, “Shots fired.”

One officer can also be heard repeatedly asking, “From where?”

Kaba died from a single gunshot wound shortly after midnight on September 6, 2022.

Firearms officer Blake, 40, was today unanimously acquitted of murder by an Old Bailey jury.

Prosecutors suggested Blake may have been “angry, frustrated and annoyed” because Kaba refused to obey police.

But Blake told jurors he fired because he feared his colleague would be killed.

The jury deliberated for three hours before acquitting Mr. Blake.

Chris Kaba’s family said they were left with the “deep pain of injustice” after Mr Blake was acquitted of murder.

The statement added: “Today we are devastated. The verdict of not guilty leaves us with a deep pang of injustice which adds to the unbearable grief we have felt since Chris was killed.

“No family should have to suffer the unimaginable grief we faced. Chris was stolen from us, and this decision shows that his life – and that of many others like him – does not matter to the system. Our son deserved better.

“The acquittal of Martyn Blake is not only a failure for our family, but also for all those affected by police violence.

“Despite this verdict, we will not be silenced. We are deeply grateful to everyone who stood by us and fought for justice.

“We will continue to fight for Chris, for justice and real change. Chris’s life mattered and nothing can take that away from us.”

Full statement from the Independent Office for Police Conduct

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “Firstly, we want to thank the family and friends of Chris Kaba today as they continue to grieve his death more than two years later.

“Our thoughts and condolences remain with them and all others affected.

“The past few weeks must have been incredibly difficult and distressing for Chris’s family as they watched the trial, listened to all the evidence and witnessed his final moments unfold in court.

“We also understand the impact this trial has had on the officer involved, as well as his firearms colleagues and the wider policing community.

“Today, after considering all the evidence, the jury acquitted Police Sergeant Martyn Blake of murder.

“We appreciate that this trial was of significant public interest, particularly within our black communities.

“The IOPC’s role is to independently investigate the circumstances of a fatal police shooting, including the decision to use deadly force.

“Under the law, firearms officers can use deadly force, but it must be reasonable in the circumstances that the officer honestly believed to be the case.

“The decisions to criminally investigate Sgt Blake and then to refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) followed careful consideration of the significant amount of evidence gathered during our independent investigation and the application of the relevant legal tests that govern our work.

“Following the decision by the CPS to charge Martyn Blake with murder, the matter has now been heard in open court and the officer has answered for his actions in front of a jury.

“Ultimately, it is the jury’s decision, after careful consideration of all the evidence, to determine guilt or innocence and we respect that decision and thank them for their consideration.

“Armed police play a key role in protecting our communities and protecting the public from danger.

“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 is important to recognize that fatal police shootings are rare, especially in relation to the number of incidents to which police officers are called to handle firearms.

“And it’s even rarer that they result in criminal or misconduct proceedings for the officer who fired the fatal shot.

“Over the past 10 years, the IOPC – or our predecessor the IPCC – has undertaken 26 investigations into fatal police shootings. In another case, we have passed a file of evidence to the CPS to consider a criminal charge against the officer who shot.”