Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott face calls to apologize for supporting Chris Kaba as…

October 23, 2024, 6:24 p.m.

Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott have been asked to apologize for supporting gangster Chris Kaba after criticizing police following his death.

It took a jury just three hours to acquit firearms official Martyn Blake in the shooting of violent gangster and suspected shooter Chris Kaba in September 2022.

This raised the question of why Mr Blake had been prosecuted in the first place and why the court had allowed him to be named publicly.

There have since been calls for those who supported Kaba as an innocent victim of police brutality to apologize.

A number of big names and charities have called for “justice” following the shooting.

Former Labor leader Mr Corbyn said: “No family should have to endure the pain that Chris Kaba’s family endured following his assassination last week. My thoughts are with them as they are fighting for justice and accountability for his death.”

Labor MP Diane Abbott said at the time: “As the terrible fate of Chris Kaba shows, people can lose their lives even while going about their daily lives.

“Defending all of our basic human rights is crucial under this dangerous and repressive government.

“The mainstream media has a nasty habit of erasing inconvenient truths when they have decided what ‘the story’ means, and it’s astonishing how often this happens to black people.”

Learn more: Armed cops to remain anonymous unless found guilty – after Chris Kaba’s gunman cop ‘placed a price on his head’

Learn more: Police officer cleared of Chris Kaba murder ‘still at risk of being sacked’ as watchdog considers misconduct proceedings

Former Met Police Commissioner Lord Stevens said people had been too quick to compare the case to that of George Floyd in the United States.

“People need to stop and think,” he told the Telegraph. “I think the liberal left should apologize now that it has emerged that he was involved in a shooting and chased a man outside one night, just days before he died.

“Let’s accept who he was and what he did.”

Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick said people had “all jumped on the Chris Kaba case to justify their pre-existing prejudices against the UK”.

“Even today, after the gun chief was acquitted by a full jury and the truth about Kaba’s violent past was revealed, baseless allegations of ‘state violence’ abound,” he said. he declared.

After Mr Blake was exonerated, the Runnymede Trust, a “racial justice” charity, reportedly tweeted “#JusticeForChrisKaba” and denounced “racist state violence”.

The Women’s Equality Party said: “We carry in our hearts today the family and friends of Chris Kaba.

“It is both terrifying and outrageous to hear politicians say that police should have less oversight after killing unarmed citizens. No justice, no peace.”

The University of Greenwich called for “justice” in December after the shooting.

A now-deleted statement read: “In September, we received the heartbreaking news of the death of Chris Kaba, a 24-year-old musician and aspiring architect who was expecting a baby with his fiancée.

“Two years ago, following the murder of George Floyd, our university committed to doing more to eliminate institutional racism.

“It is essential that we all continue to be honest and humble about the challenges we face about the work that needs to be done and unapologetically in the fight for equity and social justice.”

Former Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has hit out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan after he ‘boasted’ about being in contact with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) while he was investigating the shooting, despite potentially knowing her past.

A spokesperson for Mr Khan said: “As with all fatal police shootings, it is up to the IOPC to independently assess all the circumstances of the case and determine whether the police officer(s) ) concerned should be subject to measures for misconduct.”

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The calls for apologies come after it was revealed that armed officers charged following a police shooting will remain anonymous under new government plans.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that the assumption of anonymity would remain in force until they were convicted.

Outrage was sparked by Mr Blake’s appointment ahead of his trial, where he was cleared of the murder of Chris Kaba in south London.

He was forced into hiding, with 24-hour protection, after Kaba’s gang put a £10,000 price on his head.

As part of a review of armed police accountability – which began last year – the Home Office will now also carry out a “rapid independent review” of the threshold at which criminal cases force against armed police officers are referred to the Crown Prosecution Service. .

As it stands, the IOPC watchdog would refer a case for a charging decision if there were to be even the slightest indication of criminality.

This is a much lower threshold than that in place for members of the public, who must have a reasonable chance of being convicted to be charged.

Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh, CEO of the College of Policing, said: “Our police officers carry out an extremely difficult job in complex and often dangerous situations to keep us, the public, safe.

“We expect officers to uphold the high standards we have in place to keep people safe and maintain public trust.

“Today’s announcement by the Home Secretary gives us the opportunity to improve the way the police operate so that if a member of the public is injured or killed as a result of police action, there is a national database of lessons learned that can be incorporated into future training and guidance.

“At the same time, we must take note of the sad reality of policing on the ground and the risk that taking on this role often poses to the safety of police officers and their families.

“All gun controllers in the UK take on this role voluntarily and I thank the Government for announcing today that gun controllers will not be routinely appointed unless a conviction is obtained by a court.

“No one, including officers who carry firearms, can be above the law and it is right that communities expect a high level of accountability.

“However, as the Home Secretary acknowledged today, any system of accountability must also give officers the confidence to act in accordance with their training and not be penalized as a result.”

Dozens of snipers renounced their duties after the indictment and designation of Martyn Blake, previously known as NX121.

A challenge launched by several media outlets argued that he should be cited in the principle of open justice and the public interest, despite concerns raised about his security.

The judge, Mark Lucraft KC, ruled that the risks could be managed and agreed to lift part of the anonymity order before trial.