A police watchdog has defended his decision to investigate Metropolitan Police firearms officer Martyn Blake for the murder of gangster Chris Kaba in a new BBC documentary.
Sal Naseem told Panorama he had not been convinced that Kaba presented a sufficient danger to justify being shot.
The Met is not contributing to the film being shown on BBC One at 8pm on Monday.
In a strongly-worded intervention hours before the programme airs, the Independent Office for Police Conduct said it was “disappointed” not to be asked to participate, that ex-employee Mr Naseem did not represent their official view and he wasn’t a decision maker in the Kaba case when it concluded.
IOPC Director Amanda Rowe, the lead investigator, referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, a spokesman added.
Matt Cane, general secretary of the Met’s Police Federation, previously said Londoners would be concerned about any broadcast that was an “overly sympathetic” retrial of facts or sought to “deify” Kaba.
An Old Bailey jury cleared Sergeant Blake of the 24-year-old’s murder in three hours two weeks ago.
Father-to-be Kaba was shot through the windscreen of an Audi Q8 by Mr Blake as he tried to ram his way past police cars in Lambeth on September 5, 2022.
After the officer was acquitted, it emerged drill rapper Kaba was a core member of the Brixton Hill-based 67 gang, one of London’s most dangerous.
The Audi was directly linked to three shootings in five months and Kaba would have stood trial for the attempted murder of a rival at Hackney’s Oval Space nightclub had he survived.
Mr Naseem, who resigned while leading the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s homicide investigation, doubled down on his decision.
He said: “A police officer can only use lethal force when it’s absolutely necessary.”
At the point the weapon was fired, Mr Naseem alleged he did not think that appeared to be the case.
“It’s a split-second decision but for [Sgt Blake] to discharge the firearm there has to be a significant threat to life. At the time he did, I just didn’t think there was cause,” he claimed.
Former Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu disagrees with Mr Naseem, saying the IOPC’s announcement of a homicide probe seemed to have been made hastily in response to outside pressure.
Calling the IOPC’s move “remarkable” he said: “I worry there was some short-term thinking that said this is a way of avoiding a crisis of confidence.”
Mr Blake denied murder and giving evidence at his trial he said he thought one of his colleagues was about to die when he opened fire.
He said: “I had a genuine belief that there was an imminent threat to life, I thought one or more of my colleagues was about to die.
“I thought I was the only person with effective firearms cover at the time.
“If I hadn’t acted I thought one of my colleagues would be dead. I felt I had a duty to protect them at the time.”
The hour-long episode, titled The Chris Kaba Shooting, gained “exclusive access” to Kaba’s mother Helen Lumuanganu and father Prosper Kaba.
Mr Kaba claims they did not know about his criminal activity and say their son should instead have stood trial and, if convicted, gone to prison.
He tells the BBC: “The role of the police is not to kill.”
An anonymous Met firearms officer, who used to work for the same unit as Mr Blake, also spoke to the programme.
They allege before an inquest is held next year: “The truth is that some things went wrong in the operation... If Blake’s vehicle had not got involved in the stop, I think Chris Kaba would still be alive today.
“And because of how it happened, it was a more dangerous type of stop than the one originally planned.”
“It wasn’t safe, and it put officers in danger.”
In a statement to Panorama, the Met said: “The facts of this case were tried and tested in a criminal court over two weeks.
“A jury of 12 men and women, having heard all of the evidence found Sgt Martyn Blake not guilty of murder.
“Our focus remains on serving and protecting the communities of London and supporting the brave men and women who step forward to do so every day.”
An IOPC spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that the IOPC was not asked to participate in the BBC Panorama documentary and the views expressed by former Regional Director Sal Naseem, do not represent the official views of the organisation.
“Mr Naseem left the IOPC before the investigation was completed – he did not make the decision to begin a criminal investigation or to refer to the Crown Prosecution Service.
“Our role was not to determine whether Sergeant Martyn Blake’s actions were justified, it was to investigate, impartially, all the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including the decision to use lethal force – this involved a detailed investigation involving careful consideration of a significant amount of evidence.
“Ultimately, it was the jury’s decision to acquit Sgt Blake, which we completely respect.
“We are now reviewing our original decision prior to the trial, that Sgt Blake should face a gross misconduct hearing, and will be taking into account the evidence examined in court and further representations from the Metropolitan Police Service.”
Kaba’s family said the Home Secretary’s new policing reforms, which include anonymity for prosecuted firearms officers unless they are convicted, were like a “punishment” for his case.
Cousin Sheeda Kaba told media outside Number 10 last month: “All that said to us was that we’re tightening the protection of officers because there could never be another officer that gets this far, going to trial.
“So it’s almost like we’re being punished because my cousin’s case got that far within two years. So (with) the smear campaign by the media it’s like we’re dying a second death.
“First they took Chris and now they want to take us. But talking on behalf of my family, we will not be silenced.
“We’re gonna carry on saying Chris’s name.”
A representative for Mr Blake has been contacted for comment.
