London police officer acquitted in shooting death of unarmed Black man, Chris Kaba, in September 2022.
A London jury has cleared Martyn Blake, a Metropolitan Police marksman, of murder charges in the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Chris Kaba. The incident occurred on a residential street in Streatham Hill, south London, on September 5, 2022.
Kaba, who was unarmed, was driving a car suspected to be involved in a previous shooting. When police tried to stop him, Kaba attempted to flee, leading to Blake firing a single shot through the car’s windshield. Blake claimed he believed there was an imminent threat to his colleagues.
Following Kaba’s death, protests against racism and police violence erupted in London. The Kaba family expressed concerns about accountability, suggesting racial bias in law enforcement practices.
The verdict, which acquitted Blake, was met with mixed reactions. While prosecutors respected the jury’s decision, the Kaba family remains adamant about seeking justice in cases of police brutality.