Officer accused of Chris Kaba killing believed there was ‘imminent threat to life’ when he opened fire

14 October 2024, 14:28 | Updated: 22 October 2024, 11:51

The police officer who shot Chris Kaba has told jurors he thought there was an "imminent risk" to his colleague's life when he opened fire.

Speaking at the Old Bailey on Monday, marksman Martyn Blake said he was "filled with dread" as the car Mr Kaba was driving approached the police officers.

Mr Kaba, 24, was shot dead by Mr Blake through the windscreen window of the car in south-east London on September 5, 2022.

Mr Kaba allegedly attempted to ram his way past police when he became surrounded.

Mr Blake has denied the murder charges against him.

Read More: Officer accused of Chris Kaba murder ‘had genuine belief’ he and his colleagues would be killed

When asked why he opened fire, Blake 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."

Mr Blake has long maintained he believed his fellow officers were in danger when he opened fire at the 24-year-old.

“The driver drove his vehicle at great speed towards myself [and my colleague] to escape. I had a genuine belief that either of us could be killed and moved right, out of the way”, Blake said in his post-incident account.

“The driver then rammed our car, which was behind me, as well as a parked car and stopped, wedged.

“The male had already shown a propensity to use violence and was happy to use any means to escape and I had a genuine held belief that one or many of my colleagues could be killed by the car, and that the driver would not stop his attempt to escape at any cost.”

He added: “I then made the decision to incapacitate the driver due to the imminent threat to my colleagues and took one aimed shot at the driver. He immediately slumped and the car stopped.”

Prosecutor Tom Little KC argued that “in a number of material respects, that account is false and exaggerated in other parts”.

He claimed there was ‘no justification’ for Mr Kaba to be shot, as he said the efforts to escape a roadblock on Kirkstall Gardens were with speeds that were “not particularly fast”.