By A London police officer was acquitted Monday of murder charges in the 2022 shooting death of an unarmed Black man, Chris Kaba, a verdict that has intensified debate over policing and racial justice in Britain’s capital.
Officer Martyn Blake, 40, was found not guilty by a jury at London’s Old Bailey court after a three-week trial in the death of Chris Kaba, who died from a single gunshot to the head on September 5, 2022. The Metropolitan Police announced Blake’s suspension from duty would be lifted immediately.
The shooting occurred when Blake fired through the windscreen of Kaba’s vehicle after police boxed it in. The car had been linked to a reported shooting the previous evening.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley characterized Blake’s actions as a split-second decision. “Any fatal use of force understandably prompts huge concern among communities, particularly in Black communities where trust in policing is low,” Rowley said, acknowledging the need to “strengthen confidence in our service.”
Kaba’s family, in a statement released through the charity Inquest, expressed profound disappointment. “The acquittal of Martyn Blake isn’t just a failure for our family, but for all those affected by police violence,” the statement read, describing “the deep pain of injustice adding to the unbearable sorrow we have felt since Chris was killed.”
The case highlighted the rarity of police prosecutions in fatal shootings. The Independent Office of Police Conduct reported that of 26 investigations into 28 police shooting deaths since 2013, only Blake and one other officer were referred to prosecutors, with the other officer not ultimately charged.
Prosecutor Tom Little had argued during the trial that Blake’s decision to shoot was “not reasonably justified or justifiable.” Blake maintained he perceived an “imminent threat” to his colleagues and intended to incapacitate, not kill, Kaba.
The verdict comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the Metropolitan Police, which was found to be institutionally racist, misogynistic, and homophobic in an independent 2023 review. Statistics from Inquest reveal that 83 people have been fatally shot by police in England and Wales since 1990, resulting in three prosecutions and no convictions.
“We know that Chris’ death is not an isolated case but part of systemic racism and stereotyping that equates Black men with dangerousness,” said Inquest’s director Deborah Coles.
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper acknowledged the case’s impact on communities, police, and families, stating, “The jury has come to a conclusion… and it is imperative that is respected and everyone is given the space to process the verdict.”
The case has reignited protests and anger among London’s Black community, which has long alleged discriminatory treatment by the Metropolitan Police.
