‘Brave’ Met sniper ‘should never have been charged’ with murder of Chris Kaba,…

October 22, 2024, 10:12 a.m. | Updated: October 22, 2024, 10:15 a.m.

Suella Braverman says LBC Met firearms officer Martyn Blake should “never” have been charged with murder over the shooting of Chris Kaba.

Mr Blake, 40, went on trial after shooting the 24-year-old through the windscreen of an Audi Q8 in Streatham, south-east London, in September 2022.

Guns official Martyn Blake was acquitted by an Old Bailey jury after around three and a half hours of deliberation on Monday.

Speaking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari, Braverman said: “These accusations should never have been made against him.

“He was acting in the line of duty, in self-defense, in genuine fear for his safety – and that of his fellow officers.

“In my opinion, I can now speak freely… I don’t think they should have been brought in.” »

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She described Mr Blake as a “brave member of our police force” and said he had to exercise “extremely difficult judgement”.

The former interior minister added that making accusations against gun owners “totally undermines confidence in them”.

Regarding the role of gun controllers, she said: “We value them, we need them, we need to change the system so they know they are protected in the future. »

Mr. Kaba was unarmed when he was shot in the head by Mr. Blake, his arms were on the steering wheel of his car.

Police body camera shows moment Chris Kaba is shot

On Monday evening, more than 100 people gathered outside the Old Bailey, where a number of speakers demanded “justice” for Mr Kaba and his family.

A banner was held up reading “We protect each other”, as well as signs saying “Justice for Chris Kaba”.

Chants of “Say his name – Chris Kaba” and “No justice, no peace” were heard outside the Central Criminal Court on Monday evening as police blocked the road to traffic.

Mr. Kaba’s family says they are “devastated” and feel “the deep pain of injustice”.

They said the verdict was a failure “for everyone affected by police brutality,” adding that “no family should have to endure the unimaginable heartbreak we have faced.”

In a statement released by campaign group Inquest, Mr Kaba’s family said they would “continue to fight for Chris, for justice and for real change”.

After Martyn Blake was exonerated, video footage was released showing the events that took place on September 5, 2022.

The Crown Prosecution Service has released footage showing police body camera video from multiple angles. In the video, police can be seen swarming Mr. Kaba’s car. Two police officers can be heard shouting “show me your hands”.

There is another cry of “show me your hands” as the car moves forward and backward.

A single shot rings out and someone is heard shouting “we fired, shots fired”.

A shout of “from where, from where” is then heard, before someone responds “around the front” – followed by shouts of “first aid, first aid”.

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, will now consider whether Mr Blake should face a disciplinary hearing.

Mr. Blake had never fired a gun at a human being, nor seen a gun fired at a human being, before the night Mr. Kaba died.

Jurors heard that those close to Mr Blake were reluctant to see him become a police sniper, but that he believed it was “the best job” in the Metropolitan Police.

The jury of nine men and three women had asked to make a statement to the court alongside their verdict, but permission was refused by Judge Goss.

Official figures show that in England and Wales, between March 2023 and March 2023, police carried out 18,395 firearms operations.

Police weapons were deliberately fired in 10 of these incidents, killing three people.