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The family of Chris Kaba, a man shot dead by a Metropolitan Police officer in September 2022, have expressed their devastation following the pause of misconduct proceedings against the officer involved. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has decided to delay issuing gross misconduct papers against Sergeant Martyn Blake, who fired the fatal shot during an incident in Streatham, south-east London.
This pause is related to upcoming changes in the legal framework expected to come into effect in the spring, which will alter the tests required to initiate criminal charges and misconduct proceedings against police officers in cases involving use of force. The IOPC emphasized the importance of considering these legal adjustments before proceeding further. However, Kaba’s family maintain that the officer was rightly facing disciplinary action and have voiced frustration at only being informed recently that the Metropolitan Police had requested the IOPC to halt the proceedings as early as November.
The shooting occurred after police pursued a vehicle linked to a previous shooting incident in Brixton. During the stop, Chris Kaba was boxed in by police cars but attempted to break free by driving his car backward and forwards. In court, Sergeant Blake testified that he feared for the safety of himself and his colleagues due to Kaba’s manner of driving. Despite being found not guilty of murder at the Old Bailey, Blake was slated to face gross misconduct proceedings, a move welcomed by Kaba’s family and the charity Inquest. The officer group the Metropolitan Police Federation and senior police officials opposed this disciplinary action, describing it as unnecessary following the acquittal.
Following the case, then home secretary Yvette Cooper committed to raising the threshold used to determine when police officers could be criminally charged for use of force, aligning it with the standard applied to the general public. This change would also apply to the IOPC’s criteria for bringing misconduct cases. The IOPC stated that it is not appropriate to decide whether disciplinary proceedings should continue until these legal changes and any related Home Office guidance are fully understood. Amanda Rowe, director of the IOPC, acknowledged the case’s impact and stressed that delaying beyond what is necessary is not the intention. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner James Harman stressed the desire for a swift resolution and highlighted the prolonged stress caused by ongoing uncertainty for both the officer, referred to as NX121, and Kaba’s family. The Metropolitan Police Federation supported the decision to pause proceedings, asserting that officers should not face dismissal or criminal consequences for fulfilling their duties as expected by society
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