A GUN police officer who shot dead a driver to stop him running over colleagues was cleared of manslaughter in just three hours yesterday.
Martyn Blake, 40, was suspended for two years and spent three weeks in court for the manslaughter of Chris Kaba.
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Police video shows the moment armed officers surrounded the car driven by Chris KabaCredit: Submitted
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Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley spoke out after a jury acquitted firearms officer Martyn Blake of murdering Mr KabaCredit: Reuters
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Armed police officer Martyn Blake was suspended for two years and spent three weeks in court for the murder of Mr Kaba, pictured Credit: FAMILY HANDOUT/UNPIXS
After the verdict, the head of Britain’s biggest police force warned: “The more we break the spirit of good cops, the less they can fight crime.”
Met chief Sir Mark Rowley spoke out after a jury acquitted a firearms officer.
Sir Mark added: “No police officer is above the law, but it is clear to us that the system that holds the police to account is broken.
“I worry about the lack of faces of support officers who are doing their best, but I’m most concerned about the public.”
Sergeant Blake shot unarmed father-to-be Mr Kaba in the head after he tried to drive his Audi Q8 out of a police trap in September 2022.
Jurors at the Old Bailey heard the car had been marked after a shooting in Brixton the night before.
The prosecution said the shooting was unjustified and suggested Sgt Blake may have been “angry, frustrated and annoyed” because Mr Kaba refused to comply.
But Sgt Blake told jurors he fired because he feared a colleague would be killed by an Audi in Streatham, south London.
There was not a shred of evidence. . . it was a flawed prosecution. The case was weighted against Martyn Blake
Former Met sharpshooter Tony Long was acquitted of manslaughter in the 2005 shooting of Azelle Rodney.
Last night the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and the Crown Prosecution Service were accused of a “political prosecution” on flimsy evidence, amid community tension over the murder.
Former Met sharpshooter Tony Long, acquitted of manslaughter for shooting Azelle Rodney in 2005, said of Sgt Blake’s case: “There was not a shred of evidence . . . it was a flawed prosecution.
Angry’ Met shooter ‘unprovokedly shoots rapper Chris Kaba in the head with intent to kill him as he sits in stalled car’
“The case was very strong against Martyn Blake.”
Sir Mark Rowley spoke of the impact of the case on the families of the officer and Mr Kaba.
He said: “Over the last 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 professionally and with dignity throughout.
“This case has had a huge impact on many.
“The family and friends of Chris Kaba continue to grieve the loss of their loved one and today will be an incredibly difficult day for them.”
Married father-of-two Sgt Blake, described by colleagues as “the complete opposite of a gun-wielding policeman”, puffed out his cheeks with relief at the verdict.
His suspension was lifted immediately. But he can still lose his job under police liability rules.
The IOPC will consider whether disciplinary procedures are still appropriate.
‘Immediate danger to life’
Meanwhile, Mr Kaba’s family, including mum Helen Lumuangana and dad Prosper Kaba, reacted strongly to the verdict.
And last night at least 125 protesters gathered in front of the court in a campaign against what they say is state violence.
The family said in a statement: “The verdict of not guilty leaves us with a deep pain of injustice compounded by the unbearable grief we have felt since Chris was killed.
“No family should have to suffer the unimaginable grief we have 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 family said they will continue to “fight for Chris, for justice and for real change.”
Temi Mwale, from the Justice for Chris Kaba campaign, added: “Within 12 seconds of the forced stop, Martyn Blake shot Chris in the forehead. None of us wants to live in a society where the police can kill with impunity.”
On the night Mr Kaba was shot through the windscreen of the Audi, armed officers were informed of “a gang outing and new threats to life”.
An armed emergency response team spotted the Audi in nearby Camberwell and gave chase from a distance.
Other mobile units joined in and formed a convoy of five police cars following the Audi.
Sergeant Blake was among officers in a BMW codenamed Foxtrot waiting in Kirkstall Gardens, Streatham.
He was supposed to join the rear of the convoy, but Mr. Kaba turned into a side street. The BMW moved forward to block the Audi as a police Volvo pulled up behind it.
Jurors heard how Mr Kaba tried to wedge himself between Sgt Blake’s BMW and the parked Tesla.
He then backed up as the wheels spun as officers on foot surrounded the Audi.
Sergeant Blake told the jury he opened fire with his SIG Sauer MCX, insisting he did not intend to kill.
The officer said: “I had a genuine belief that there was an immediate threat to life, I thought one or more of my colleagues would die.
“I thought I was the only one with firearms coverage at the time.
“I shot right over the handlebars, which was the best chance of hitting the driver’s center of mass.”
Prosecutor Tom Little argued that Sergeant Blake had no need to shoot because Mr Kaba did not pose a threat.
Mr Little said the Audi was stopped, with its reverse lights on, and Mr Kaba had his hands on the steering wheel.
A number of police witnesses who testified for the prosecution said they feared for their lives because of Mr Kaba’s car.
One suggested that he too would open fire.
Other police witnesses said they never saw Sergeant Blake lose his temper.
Defense attorney Patrick Gibbs said the firearms officer “wasn’t RoboCop with nanosecond reactions.”
The calvary he went through, unimaginable. We need to support our brave police and not drag them through the courts for making split second decisions.
Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick at police officer trial
At sentencing, the judge, Mr Justice Goss, refused the jury permission to make a statement to the court.
Meanwhile, Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick described Sgt Blake as “a hero who found himself fearing for his life and the lives of his colleagues”.
He added: “His prosecution was wrong and put the public at risk.
“The calvary he went through, unimaginable.
“We need to support our brave police, not drag them through the courts for making split second decisions.”
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Chris Kaba’s mum Helen and dad are thriving Credit: Chris Eades
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Protesters gathered outside the Old Bailey after the officer was acquitted
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Protesters displayed anti-police banners at the Old Bailey protest
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There was anger at the verdict among Chris Kaba’s supporters. Credit: Getty
Home Affairs Minister Yvette Cooper said it was imperative that the jury’s decision was respected, adding that everyone should be given space to process the verdict.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I understand the impact of Chris Kaba’s death on London’s communities and the anger, pain and fear it has caused.
“It is clear that there is still a wider lack of trust in the police, particularly in the black community, that needs to be addressed.”
The CPS defended its decision to prosecute, saying the case met the legal tests.
Amanda Rowe of the IOPC said the criminal investigation and referral to the CPS “follows careful consideration of a significant amount of evidence”.
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Shooting scene after Chris Kaba is stopped Credits: Submitted
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A recreation of a police stop on a residential road. Credit: Crown Prosecution Service
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Police followed the Audi before it came to a sudden stopCredit: PA
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A police cordon near the scene after the shooting Credit: UkNewsinPictures
PROBE TIME PLAN
THIS is how events unfolded two years ago.
5 September 2022: A tactical firearms officer is made aware of a sighting of an Audi Q8, driven by Chris Kaba, after an ANPR camera flagged its alleged involvement in a shooting the previous night.
The commander declares a firearms incident and communicates tactics to the armed response team. Armed officers chase after a car that had to stop at 10.07pm in Streatham Hill, south London.
As Mr. Kaba starts the engine, a policeman standing in front of the car fires a single bullet through the windshield.
September 6: Mr Kaba dies in hospital at 0.19am. The Metropolitan Police refer to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
September 7: A statement by Mr Kaba’s family calls for an investigation into the murder.
12 September: The Met confirms officer NX121 has been suspended from frontline duty
September 20, 2023: The Crown Prosecution Service charged the officer with murder. Hundreds of colleagues have reportedly surrendered their gun licenses.
March 8, 2024: Judge lifts anonymity order, appointing Martyn Blake as clerk.
21 October 2024: Blake is acquitted of murder, with jurors at the Old Bailey taking just three hours to reach a unanimous verdict.
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Source: HIS Education