The police watchdog has launched a murder investigation into the death of an unarmed Black man shot dead by police in southwest London.
Chris Kaba, 24, was shot in Streatham Hill on Monday following a pursuit that saw the Audi he was driving hemmed in by two police cars in a narrow residential street.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said Kaba died after a single shot was fired by a Met Police officer from the specialist firearms command while police attempted to stop and contain the vehicle he was driving.
Scotland Yard said it was cooperating with the murder probe and the officer under investigation had been removed from operational duties.
The IOPC said armed officers had pursued Kaba after an automatic number plate recognition camera indicated the vehicle was linked to an earlier firearms incident. The car was not registered to Kaba, the watchdog added.
In a statement announcing the the murder investigation, the IOPC said: “Our investigation team is continuing to gather and review a large amount of evidence, however as this is now a criminal investigation, we are limited in what further information we can provide. The launch of a criminal investigation does not mean that criminal charges will necessarily follow.
“We have notified Mr Kaba’s family of this latest development.
“We continue to ask that people avoid speculating about this incident out of respect for Mr Kaba’s family and for everyone else affected.”
The watchdog confirmed earlier this week that “no non-police issue firearm has been recovered from the vehicle or the scene” following a detailed search of the area.
Kaba’s family on Wednesday called for a murder investigation as they demanded “answers and accountability” over his death.
In a statement released through the charity Inquest, they said he would still be alive if he had not been Black.
The family read: “We have today told the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) of that demand and that we do not want any delay as has happened in other fatal shootings – otherwise we and the wider public can have no confidence that the police will be held to account.
“We are devastated; we need answers and we need accountability. We are worried that if Chris had not been Black, he would have been arrested on Monday evening and not had his life cut short.”
Kaba, who was due to become a father, was a rapper known as Madix or Mad Itch and was part of the Mobo-nominated drill group 67.
Kaba’s car and police vehicles involved in the pursuit are undergoing a detailed forensic examination at a secure location.
Amanda Pearson, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said: “The Met is cooperating fully as the IOPC work to independently establish the full circumstances surrounding the shooting.
“The officer is not currently on operational duties due to the formal post-incident process. A senior officer will now carefully consider their work status going forward.
“I absolutely understand that this shooting is a matter of grave concern, particularly for our Black communities.
“I also know what a difficult and often dangerous job firearms officers in particular do every day to try to protect the public. They understand and expect that on the very rare occasions they discharge their weapons they will face intense scrutiny. I don’t underestimate the impact on them of this development.
“I’d urge the public to allow the IOPC the time and space needed to progress the investigation.”
