The police marksman who shot dead Chris Kaba during a police car stop aimed at tackling gang violence has been cleared of murder.
Martyn Blake, 40, shot 24-year-old Mr Kaba in the head through the windscreen of an Audi Q8 during a volatile car stop in Kirkstall Gardens in Streatham, south London, on the night of September 5 2022.
Armed Metropolitan Police officers had been deployed after the force received intelligence about gun crime and a previous shooting.
After the police incident, Mr Blake was arrested and subsequently charged with murder.
But a jury deliberated for less than three hours on Monday before finding the marksman not guilty - leaving the Kaba family “devastated” and feeling “the deep pain of injustice”.
Mr Kaba, who was unarmed at the time, realised police were following him and, when surrounded, he made efforts to escape from armed response vehicles.
He used the Audi Q8 to try to smash and ram his way out, while marksmen told the Old Bailey juror they had been just about to open fire when Mr Blake pulled the trigger.
Mr Blake told the Old Bailey he was aiming at the central body mass of Mr Kaba, and did not want to kill him.
He told jurors he was intending to stop the car, and feared for the safety of his police colleagues.
“It was the only way I thought I had at the time to stop the vehicle”, he said.
Mr Blake had faced accusations he was “angry” at the time of the shooting, but he denied being anything but professional.
He also told the court that he thinks about what happened “every day, all the time”.
Mr Blake appeared to be briefly overcome with emotion as the verdict was returned, puffing out his cheeks as he stood in the dock.
The Kaba family sat in the well of the court, and appeared unmoved as the verdict was delivered.
Shortly afterwards, the family said the injustice added “to the unbearable sorrow we have felt since Chris was killed”.
A statement added: “No family should endure the unimaginable grief we have faced. Chris was stolen from us, and this decision shows his life — and many others like him — does not matter to the system. Our son deserved better.
“The acquittal of Martyn Blake isn’t just a failure for our family, but for all those affected by police violence.
“Despite this verdict, we won’t be silenced. We are deeply grateful to everyone who stood by us and fought for justice. We will continue fighting for Chris, for justice, and for real change. Chris’ life mattered, and nothing can take that away from us.”
The decision to charge Mr Blake caused a storm among serving police officers, and the trial has been closely followed by groups calling for justice for Mr Kaba.
Minutes after the verdict was delivered, the Black Lives Matter movement called for a rally outside the Old Bailey.
More than 100 people gathered outside the Central Criminal Court, chanting “Say his name – Chris Kaba” and “No justice – no peace” as police closed off the road to traffic.
In a statement outside Scotland Yard, Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said Mr Blake had paid “a huge personal and professional sacrifice” over the past two years since the shooting.
He said the officer had made “a split second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and to protect London”.
Sir Mark then took aim at the systems used to hold police officers who take lethal shots to account.
He continued: “No police officer is above the law, but we have been clear that the system holding police to account is broken.
“I worry about the lack of support officers face for doing their best, but most of all, I worry for the public.
“The more we crush the spirit of good officers, the less they can fight crime that risks London becoming less safe.”
My statement following today's verdict. pic.twitter.com/WtLmO4wEfw
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) October 21, 2024
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he “understands the impact Chris Kaba’s death has had on London’s communities and the anger, pain and fear it has caused”.
He added: “In London, we police by consent. When anyone loses their life following contact with the police, it’s important that it is properly and thoroughly investigated, which is what’s happened in this case.
“Firearms officers work under the most extraordinary pressure, carrying with them unique responsibilities and often putting themselves in harm’s way to protect others.”
“There’s clearly still a wider lack of trust in the police, particularly within the Black community, that needs to be addressed,” the Mayor added.
Marksmen ‘fractions of a second away from pulling the trigger’
The Audi driven by Mr Kaba had been used as a getaway vehicle in a shooting the evening before his death, and police moved in when its numberplate was spotted by an officer.
During the trial, a second firearms officer said he would have opened fire if Mr Blake had not, while a third said he was “fractions of a second” away from pulling the trigger.
Prosecutors accused Mr Blake of misjudging the level of threat, but defence barrister Patrick Gibbs KC said of the officer: “He is not a robot, he is a human being with a human brain who did this to the best of his ability.”
The decision to charge Mr Blake was initially met with a revolt within the Met’s firearms division.
Officers reportedly downed tools in protest and it was said the Army was put on standby to plug the gap.
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When he was first charged, Mr Blake was identified using a cypher, NX121, until Recorder of London Mark Lucraft KC decided that the officer should be identified by name during his criminal trial.
The media were, however, still blocked from publishing images of Mr Blake or details of his home life.
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman landed herself in hot water with the judge after making “regrettable” comments that indirectly criticised the charging decision of Mr Blake.
In a tweet, she said firearms officers “mustn’t fear ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties”.
Then Attorney General Victoria Prentis was informed about the social media posts, and Judge Lucraft issued a rare warning to a politician about the dangers of Contempt of Court.
“It seems to me the important thing is to remind of the importance of contempt of court”, he said.
“Inevitably, every case in this court attracts a fairly high volume of publicity.
“The one thing we try to avoid is public debate of these decisions, public debate over whether someone has acted lawfully or indeed whether decisions made to prosecute an individual are right or wrong.”
He added: “It is incumbent on all of us to ensure anyone making any comments about this case, the same rules apply to this case as to any other case in crown courts in this country, both here and elsewhere. I would use this opportunity as a reminder to everyone of the rules and the importance of abiding by them.”
Mrs Braverman had also commissioned a government review of how firearms officers should be held to account, with suggestions that officers would quit their roles if they were dissatisfied with the outcome.
Responding to Monday’s not guilty verdict, Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “We fully respect the jury’s decision.
“This has been a complex and sensitive case and the decision to prosecute was made after an in-depth consideration of all the available evidence.
“We recognise that firearms officers operate under enormous pressure, but it is our responsibility to put cases before a jury that meet our test for prosecution, and we are satisfied that test was met in this case.
“It is therefore right that the case was put before the jury for them to scrutinise and to decide. They have carefully considered each piece of evidence, including video and Martyn Blake’s own account. They have made up their minds in the proper way and we thank them for doing so.”
