Man shot dead by police ‘was due to become a father’

A man who was shot dead by police after a chase in south London was months away from becoming a father, according to the mother of his fiancee.

The man, named locally as Chris Kaba, died in Streatham Hill on Monday night after the Audi he was driving was hemmed in by two police cars.

Officers used a tactic where they deliberately collide with a car to force it to stop to bring the pursuit to an end in Kirkstall Gardens shortly before 10pm.

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is investigating, said one shot was fired from a police issue firearm.

Locals reported hearing gunshots and the police helicopter hovering overhead.

Some paying tribute at the scene said Mr Kaba was a rapper known as Madix or Mad Itch 67.

But Kim Alleyne, 49, whose daughter Karimah Waite was engaged to Mr Kaba, said this was not true and that he had an apprenticeship to become an architect.

She said: “He was so loved. He was so funny. He was super kind. Crazy. He was always happy. He’d do anything for you.

“He was a fiance, he was due to get married in five months’ time. He’s got a baby on the way that he’s never going to see.

“It’s horrible and so shocking and so sad.”

Ms Alleyne questioned why police shot Mr Kaba, and added her daughter “is in a tremendous amount of pain”.

She added: “She cannot process her feelings because it’s a type of pain that you cannot explain. The baby is due in November.

“If that was a white boy, he would have got a chance to get out the car.”

Jefferson Bosela, 27, who said he was Mr Kaba’s cousin, said the driver was a musician who went by the stage name “Itch”.

He added: “He was a good person, a good, happy guy. He didn’t deserve that. No one deserves that.

“Nobody deserves to be shot by the police, whether they are a good person or a bad person.”

A 39-year-old man, who lives on nearby New Park Road and asked not to be named, told the PA news agency: “The (driver) drove up New Park Road and turned up Kirkstall Gardens.

“A police car came down Kirkstall Gardens and crashed into him.

“Another police car came in behind him and they had him locked in at the bottom of Kirkstall Gardens.

“The car was immobile when he was shot.”

He added: “The bang was really loud. I was in my house with my gaming headphones on and I heard it.”

Another witness told the Evening Standard that Mr Kaba tried to ram his way past the police cars.

Rachel Cook, who lives in nearby Kirkstall Road, told PA: “I was in bed and heard what sounded like two gunshots in quick succession, then saw flashing lights through the curtains.

“The police helicopter arrived shortly afterwards and we heard lots of squad cars.

“A neighbour told me they saw armed police and that the police performed CPR on the injured man before he was taken off the scene.

“It’s a very quiet residential street and people are very shook up about it.”

A man who lives on Kirkstall Road and asked not to be named said: “I heard what sounded like one or two gunshots and then a lot of commotion.”

The Metropolitan Police said the man who was shot received first aid from officers at the scene before being taken to hospital, but died at 12.16am.

Cordons were in place on Kirkstall Gardens and New Park Road on Tuesday, with a forensic tent put up and officers gathering evidence at the scene.

Friends of the man who died began to gather in the street in the late morning.

The IOPC declared an independent investigation shortly before midnight, as is standard after a police shooting, and investigators were at the scene overnight and throughout Tuesday, securing evidence including footage from police vehicles and a police helicopter, as well as officers’ body worn video.

London regional director Sal Naseem said: “Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this tragic incident. The man’s next of kin have been notified and we have made contact with them to offer our condolences and to explain our role. We will keep them regularly updated throughout our investigation.

“When the police use fatal force it is important that there is a robust, independent investigation to establish all of the circumstances surrounding what happened.

“It is natural that the community wants answers quickly but I would ask that people refrain from speculation that may be unhelpful to all of those affected. I want to reassure everyone concerned by this incident that our investigators are working hard to establish the entire sequence of events which resulted in this man’s death.”