Police Watchdog Halts Misconduct Case Against Officer Cleared in Chris Kaba Shooting
The family of Chris Kaba have expressed devastation after learning that misconduct proceedings against the police officer acquitted of his murder have been paused. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has delayed serving Sergeant Martyn Blake with misconduct papers ahead of an impending change in the legal test for use of force by officers.
Background to the Fatal Incident
Chris Kaba, aged 24, was fatally shot by Metropolitan Police firearms officer Martyn Blake in Streatham, south London, on 5 September 2022. At the time of the shooting, Mr Kaba was unarmed and had both hands on the steering wheel of his vehicle. The incident occurred after police had followed an Audi Q8 linked to a shooting outside a school in nearby Brixton the previous evening.
A helicopter and six police cars were involved in the operation that led to Mr Kaba being stopped. He turned into Kirkstall Gardens, where Sergeant Blake was inside a marked police BMW, before attempting to escape. The subsequent murder trial focused on a critical 17-second period during which Mr Kaba reversed, hitting an unmarked police car, then accelerated forward, reaching an estimated 12mph before colliding with the BMW and a parked Tesla.
Legal Proceedings and Acquittal
In October 2024, a jury deliberated for approximately three hours before finding Sergeant Blake not guilty of murder. The jury was not informed that Mr Kaba was a core member of a notorious south London gang suspected of carrying out a nightclub shooting. Following the acquittal, then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper pledged to align the legal test for prosecuting police officers over use of force with the standard applied to members of the public.
In April last year, Mr Kaba's family welcomed the IOPC's announcement that Sergeant Blake would face a gross misconduct hearing, expressing hope it would lead to his dismissal from the Metropolitan Police. However, the force made strong representations against further action and requested the watchdog drop proceedings in November after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood accepted a recommendation to raise the test for use of force in misconduct cases.
Family Reaction and Watchdog Decision
Mr Kaba's family stated they only learned on Wednesday that the Met had asked the IOPC to halt the case. In a statement, they said: "Martyn Blake fatally shot Chris when he was unarmed, and without knowing who he was. Until today, Martyn Blake was quite correctly facing imminent disciplinary proceedings for that use of force. We are devastated that the IOPC has decided, under this kind of police pressure, to put on hold the preparations for Martyn Blake's gross misconduct proceedings."
IOPC Director Amanda Rowe acknowledged the impact on all affected parties but emphasised the need to consider impending changes to the use of force standard. She stated: "It isn't our intention to delay matters any more than necessary, but it's important that our decision takes account of impending changes to the use of force standard."
Police and Union Responses
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said the pause in disciplinary proceedings should be as short as possible, noting that Sergeant Blake's life has been on hold for over three years. He added: "We also recognise that this delay will be felt deeply by Mr Kaba's family, who continue to grieve their loss."
Matt Cane, General Secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, welcomed the IOPC's decision, stating it would be supported by police officers across London. He said: "Police officers should not face losing their liberty or livelihoods for doing the job that society expects of them, and it has been pleasing to see government acknowledgement of this. We look forward to Sgt Blake - already fully exonerated for his actions in court by a jury of peers - swiftly having no further case to answer."
The law change, expected to come into force in the spring, will raise the standard for use of force in misconduct cases from the civil standard to the test used in criminal law. This adjustment aims to provide clearer guidelines for evaluating police actions in high-pressure situations.
