Metropolitan police sniper Martin Blake has been acquitted of murder following the death of Chris Kaba.
On 5 September 2022, 24-year-old Chris was shot in the head through the windscreen of his Audi after a pursuit and a sudden police stop.
A year later, Blake was charged with murder following a referral from the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
After three hours of deliberation by a jury on Monday, the firearms officer was found not guilty of killing Kaba.
Kaba’s family, who have campaigned for years for justice for their son, said they were “devastated” by the outcome.
They said: “The acquittal leaves us with the deep pain of injustice and adds to the excruciating grief we have felt since Chris’ death.
“No family should ever endure the unimaginable grief we have endured. Chris was taken from us but this decision shows the system does not care about his life – or the lives of so many others like him. Our son deserves better.
“Martin Blake’s acquittal is a failure not only for our family but for everyone affected by police violence.”
“Despite this verdict, we will not be silent and we are deeply grateful to everyone who stood with us and fought for justice. We will continue to fight for Chris, for justice and for real change. Chris’ life matters and nothing can take it away from us.”
During the trial at the Old Bailey, Blake, 40, appeared momentarily overcome with emotion as the jury delivered its verdict.
He exhaled, puffed out his cheeks and turned away with an obvious look of relief.
Mr Blake’s family, sitting in the corridor, remained silent and did not immediately respond.
Sir Mark Rowley later issued a statement to Scotland Yard saying: “He (Blake) has conducted himself professionally and with dignity throughout… I am concerned that police officers are not being supported when they are doing their best.”
“But what I am most concerned about is the public. The more you undermine the ethos of good police officers, the less able they are to fight crime,” he said, adding that there was a risk to London’s safety and that “it is right that this case should be taken to a jury for consideration and decision.”
Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s special crime and counter-terrorism unit, said:
“Armed Metropolitan Police Officer Martin Blake has today been acquitted of murder. We fully respect the jury’s decision.
“This is a complex and sensitive case and the decision to prosecute was taken following a thorough consideration of all available evidence.
We understand that firearms officials perform beneathneath tremendous pressure, however it’s far our obligation to position instances earlier than a jury that meet our check for prosecution, and we’re glad that check become met on this case.
It is consequently proper that the case become positioned earlier than the jury for them to scrutinise and to decide. They have cautiously taken into consideration every piece of proof, consisting of video and Martyn Blakes very own account. They have made up their minds withinside the right manner and we thank them for doing so.`
The IOPC in the meantime defended its choice to refer the capturing to the Crown Prosecution Service, with IOPC director Amanda Rowe saying: `The choices to criminally check out Sergeant Blake, after which to refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), accompanied cautious attention of a full-size quantity of proof collected at some point of our unbiased research and via way of means of making use of the applicable felony assessments which govern our work.
`Following the CPS choice to fee Martyn Blake with murder, the problem has now been heard in open courtroom docket and the officer has accounted for his movements earlier than a jury.
Ultimately it’s far that jurys choice, having cautiously taken into consideration all of the proof, to decide guilt or innocence and we admire that choice and thank them for his or her attention.`
During the trial, the jury heard that the auto Mr Kaba become in were used as a getaway automobile in a capturing the preceding evening.
It become pursued via way of means of officials after and hemmed in via way of means of police vehicles in Kirkstall Gardens, Brixton, south London, after an officer acknowledged its registration number.
Mr Kaba drove back and forth seeking to ram his manner loose, which Mr Blake informed jurors made him accept as true with one in all his colleagues become approximately to die, and so he opened hearthplace to forestall the auto.
A fellow firearms officer, who has now no longer been named and become called DS87, stated he could have taken a shot if Mr Blake had now no longer, and any other recognized via way of means of the cypher E156 stated he become fractions of a second farfar from doing the same.
Another officer, who become named most effective as NX109, were given the finger of his glove stuck withinside the Audi`s door cope with and simply controlled to wrench it loose because it moved forward, telling the jury he notion he could be dragged among it and a Tesla parked nearby.
Prosecutors argued that Mr Blake had misjudged the risk, exaggerated the hazard to his colleagues in statements following the capturing, and had geared toward Mr Kaba`s head, all of which he denied.
In his defence, jurors heard a chain of sparkling testimonials from colleagues and senior officials.
Defence barrister Patrick Gibbs KC stated Mr Blake become no RoboCop with the nanosecond reactions of a computer.
He informed jurors: He isn’t a robot, he’s a person with a human mind who did this to the first-class of his ability.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority, which oversees the police, will now consider whether Blake should face a disciplinary hearing.
Questions have already been raised about how firearms officers will be held accountable in the shooting. When Blake was first charged with murder, dozens of his colleagues walked out.
Police chiefs have expressed concern that officers will be less willing to volunteer for target practice, given the intense scrutiny they could face if they had to fire a fatal shot.
Blake had never fired a gun at anyone or seen anyone shot until the night Kaba died.
The jury heard that people close to Blake were hesitant about him pursuing a career as a police marksman, but that Blake considered it “the best job” in the Metropolitan police force.
According to official statistics, there were 18,395 firearm incidents by police in England and Wales in the year to March 2023.
In 10 of these incidents police weapons were fired intentionally, resulting in three deaths.