British police officer named in Chris Kaba murder pleads not guilty
Al JazeeraFeb 27
UK Police Officer Acquitted in Chris Kabba Shooting Could Still Be Fired
Above: Metropolitan Police car driving at speed on 7th October 2024 in London, United Kingdom. Image copyright: Mike Kemp/Contributor/In Pictures via Getty Images
The Facts
Following a three-week trial, a jury on Monday found Metropolitan Police (Met) Sgt. Martyn Blake not guilty of the murder of Chris Kaba. Blake fatally shot Kaba after he drove his Audi at officers during an investigation into the car's link to two firearms cases.
After the verdict, the IOPC reaffirmed that it still has a role to “independently investigate the circumstances” surrounding the shooting. The body’s website states that investigations may end in recommendations such as further training, misconduct meetings, or gross misconduct hearings.
The Spin
Left narrative
The acquittal of Sgt. Blake should have never happened, and the only hope that remains is that the IPOC can at least provide some justice by relieving him of his duties. Chris Kaba was the victim of a racist officer who recklessly chose to take the life of an unarmed Black man. The government must take this opportunity to make amends for its decades-long history of treating Black lives with less care than others.
Right narrative
The loudest voices in this matter are the most uninformed, as the facts of this case show. The police were investigating a prior shooting, and when the cops found him driving a vehicle linked to previous serious crime, Kaba chose to ram it repeatedly into a police car rather than stop driving. Kaba was armed with a car and was attempting to use lethal force against police, which is what ultimately led to his death.