Police officer who shot Chris Kaba ‘to be promoted’ after acquittal
Martyn Blake was cleared of murdering Chris Kaba, 24, by a jury in just over three hours at the Old Bailey in October
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Your support makes all the difference.The firearms officer who fatally shot Chris Kaba is set to be promoted after he was cleared of murder, according to reports.
Metropolitan Police sergeant Martyn Blake, 40, is expected to become an inspector after passing exams before the shooting on 5 September 2022.
Mr Blake will be transferred from the firearms unit to another department within the force, it is understood.
The marksman stood trial after shooting Kaba, an unarmed Black man, through the front windscreen of an Audi Q8 as the 24-year-old tried to smash and ram his way through police cars in Streatham, southeast London, two years ago.
He was cleared of murder by a jury in just over three hours at the Old Bailey in October.
The officer may still face a gross misconduct investigation following an Independent Office of Police Conduct investigation into the shooting.
After the verdict last month, it emerged Kaba was believed to be a “core member” of one of London’s most dangerous criminal gangs, the “67 gang”, and was allegedly directly linked to two shootings in the six days before he was shot dead by police.
Police officers at the scene did not know who was driving the Audi Q8 when it was followed and stopped, only that it had been used as a getaway car in a shooting the night before.
Last week, Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley hit out at “dangerous narratives”, adding that online commentary, often largely focussed on Kaba’s ethnicity, risked undermining justice in the wake of the shooting as he urged commentators to be more aware of the weight of their words.
Sir Mark called for an honest conversation about the challenges facing Black communities in London, noting young Black men are 13 times more likely to be murdered than white men.
Meanwhile, a report published last year found that Black people are at least seven times more likely to die following contact with officers.
Following the verdict, the home secretary announced new policing reforms, which include anonymity for prosecuted firearms officers unless they are convicted.
The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for comment.
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