In a closely watched trial that has reignited debates over police use of force in Britain, a jury has acquitted Metropolitan Police armed officer Martyn Blake of murder charges stemming from the September 2022 fatal shooting of Chris Kaba, an unarmed 24-year-old man, in south London.
The jury at the Old Bailey, London’s Central Criminal Court, deliberated for just under three hours before reaching the not guilty verdict on Monday. Blake had been charged with murder for shooting Kaba once in the head after police forced his Audi to stop on a residential street in Streatham.
Suspect Linked to Prior Shooting
According to court testimony, police believed Kaba’s vehicle had been involved in a shooting the previous evening and had pursued it through the streets of south London before boxing it in. Blake, a specialist firearms officer, told the court he opened fire because he feared Kaba was about to use the car to kill his fellow officers.
However, Kaba was found to be unarmed, and no weapon was discovered in his vehicle. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which investigates deaths following police contact, later revealed that the initial reports linking Kaba’s car to a firearms incident were mistaken.
Controversial Decision to Prosecute
The decision to charge Blake with murder proved highly controversial within policing circles. Many of his colleagues were outraged that he had been prosecuted for making a split-second decision in what he believed to be a dangerous situation.
“The fact that he was even charged is a disgrace,” a source close to Blake’s legal team told reporters. “Police firearms officers have an incredibly difficult job. They have to make life-or-death choices under enormous pressure.”
Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley was also said to be deeply unhappy about the murder charge. However, the Crown Prosecution Service defended the decision, saying it was in the public interest given the grave consequences of Blake’s actions.
Racial Disparities in Policing
The shooting of Kaba, who was Black, also fueled concerns about racial profiling and disproportionate use of force by British police against people of color. Activists argued that Kaba would not have been shot if he were white.
During the trial, prosecutors questioned whether Blake had given Kaba sufficient warning before opening fire and suggested he had been too quick to conclude that Kaba posed a lethal threat. However, the officer insisted he had acted in self-defense and in defense of his colleagues.
“It was a matter of seconds,” Blake testified. “I had to make a decision, and I made the decision to fire.”
Victim’s Family Devastated
Kaba’s family, who have vocally criticized the police handling of the case, said they were “devastated” by the verdict. In a statement, they described him as a beloved son, brother, and partner, and vowed to keep fighting for accountability.
“This fight is not over,” Kaba’s cousin, Jefferson Bosela, told reporters outside court. “We will not rest until there is justice for Chris, and for all the other young Black men and women who have had their lives cut short by police violence.”
The family has already lodged a civil claim against the Metropolitan Police. They are also calling for a public inquiry into the shooting and its aftermath.
Debates Over Policing Set to Continue
The acquittal of Blake is unlikely to quell the heated debates over police use of force that the case has ignited. Activists say the shooting highlights the need for sweeping reforms to police training and accountability mechanisms, especially around interactions with communities of color.
“Clearly, the current system is not working,” a spokesperson for the advocacy group StopWatch told reporters. “It’s not keeping the public safe, and it’s not delivering justice. It’s time for a fundamental rethink of the role of policing in our society.”
However, police representatives maintain that the verdict shows that officers must be able to use lethal force when they reasonably believe there is an imminent threat to life. Further restricting armed officers’ decision-making could leave them and the public at greater risk, they argue.
With the battle lines around this emotive issue more sharply drawn than ever, the acquittal of Martyn Blake seems set to inflame rather than settle the question of when and how police should deploy deadly force in 21st-century Britain. As the Kaba family’s quest for accountability continues, that question will remain hotly contested in courtrooms, in parliament, and on streets across the country.
