Police bodycam video shows moment Met marksman shoots dead Chris Kaba - as officer is cleared of murder
21 October 2024, 17:11 | Updated: 22 October 2024, 11:50
The Met police marksman who fatally shot Chris Kaba has been cleared of his murder.
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Martyn Blake, 40, stood trial at the Old Bailey after shooting the 24-year-old through the front windscreen of an Audi Q8 in Streatham, south-east London, on September 5 2022.
The car had been used as a getaway vehicle in a shooting the previous evening, and was hemmed in by police cars in Kirkstall Gardens after an officer recognised its registration number.
Mr Kaba drove backwards and forwards trying to ram his way free, which Mr Blake told jurors made him believe one of his colleagues was about to die, and so he opened fire to stop the car.
Police bodycam shows moment Chris Kaba is shot
After Martyn Blake was cleared, video footage was released showing the events that unfolded on September 5 2022. The Crown Prosecution Service released footage featuring police bodycam video from multiple angles.
In the video police can be seen swarming around Mr Kaba’s car. Two officers can be heard shouting “show me your hands”.
There is another shout of “show me your hands” while the car moves forwards and backwards.
A single shot rings out and someone can be heard shouting “ we've got shots fired, shots fired.”
A cry of “where from, where from” is then heard, before someone answers “round the front” – followed by shouts of “first aid, first aid”.
A fellow firearms officer known as DS87 said he would have taken a shot if Mr Blake had not, and another identified by the cypher E156 said he was "fractions of a second" away from doing the same.
Another, NX109, got the finger of his glove caught in the Audi's door handle and just managed to wrench it free as it moved forward, telling the jury he thought he would be dragged between it and a Tesla parked nearby.
Prosecutors argued that Mr Blake had misjudged the risk, exaggerated the threat to his colleagues in statements following the shooting, and had aimed at Mr Kaba's head, all of which he denied.
In his defence, jurors heard a series of glowing testimonials from colleagues and senior officers.
Defence barrister Patrick Gibbs KC said Mr Blake was no "RoboCop"with the "nanosecond" reactions of a computer.
He told jurors: "He is not a robot, he is a human being with a human brain who did this to the best of his ability."
Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct will now consider whether Mr Blake should face a disciplinary hearing.
After the officer was cleared, Met police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “This case has had an enormous impact on many.
“Chris Kaba’s family and friends continue to grieve the loss of a loved one and today will be enormously difficult for them.
“Today’s verdict is significant. No firearms officer sets out on duty intending on ending a life.
“Their sole purpose is the complete opposite. The protection and preservation of life.
“Throughout the trial the jury heard significant detail about the scenes facing Sgt Blake that night.
“Armed officers bravely intervened not knowing the risk they were about to face. “The court heard Mr Kaba tried to evade police, ramming his vehicle into others all around him.
“Sgt Blake made a split second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and to protect London.
“The jury decided that was an honestly held belief and that the force used was reasonable.
“Any fatal use of force understandably prompts huge concern among communities, particularly in black communities where trust in policing is low.
“Incidents like this place further strain on already challenged relationships.”
Chief Constable Simon Chesterman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Armed Policing, said: “Our thoughts remain with Chris Kaba’s family and friends, and the wider community who we know have experienced the most terrible distress after losing him.
"We also acknowledge the distress faced by Martyn Blake, his family and colleagues during this time.
“We have heard the verdict of the jury today and respect the outcome and the legal process.
“We will now take some time to process this and reflect on what this means for policing."
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For two years since the death of Chris Kaba, this has been a very difficult case, causing deep concerns for communities, for police officers and of course causing real distress for the families most closely affected.
"The jury has come to a conclusion – Sergeant Martyn Blake has been acquitted – and it is imperative that is respected and everyone is given the space to process the verdict.
“Criminal prosecutions brought against police officers for actions taken in the course of their duties are extremely rare. Each day, police officers across the country work hard with bravery and integrity to keep the public safe.
“The British tradition of policing by consent relies on mutual bonds of trust between the public and the police. It is important both that the police have the confidence of communities they serve and that officers have the support and confidence they need to do the difficult job of keeping us safe.
"The Government is committed to working with policing to strengthen confidence for the future.”
Breaking: Officer who shot Chris Kaba cleared of murder
Questions have already been raised about how firearms officers are held to account in fatal shootings, with dozens of Mr Blake's colleagues downing tools when he was first charged with murder.
Police bosses raised concerns that officers would no longer be willing to volunteer to take on firearms training due to the levels of scrutiny that they could face if they had to take a fatal shot.
Mr Blake had never fired a gun at a human being, or seen a gun fired at a human being, before the night Mr Kaba died.
The jury heard that those close to Mr Blake had been hesitant about him becoming a police marksman but that he felt it was "the best job" in the Metropolitan Police.
Official figures show that in England and Wales in the year to March 2023 there were 18,395 police firearms operations.
Police weapons were deliberately fired at 10 of these incidents, resulting in three fatalities.
