The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) have today announced that the firearms officer who killed Chris Kaba will face a misconduct hearing.
Chris Kaba, a 24 year old Black man, was fatally shot by Martyn Blake, a firearms officer from the Metropolitan Police on 5 September 2022 in Streatham, London. Chris was unarmed and police officers did not know who he was at the time of the shooting.
Chris’ family said: “We welcome the IOPC’s direction that the Met Police must bring disciplinary proceedings against Martyn Blake. We hope this leads to him being removed from the Met Police.
What Martyn Blake did was deeply wrong. We are still so devastated to have lost Chris - this should never have happened.
The fact that the Met promoted Martyn Blake after the verdict only deepened our pain and showed a complete disregard for our loss. Martyn Blake should not be allowed to remain a police officer. He should lose his job.”
Sheeda Queen, Temi Mwale and Kayza Rose of the Justice for Chris Kaba Campaign, said: “Martyn Blake must be fired. The Met Police sent a devastating message when they promoted him immediately after the verdict - a decision that showed utter contempt for Chris’s life and for our community.
Despite the IOPC’s clear direction today that misconduct proceedings must go ahead, we have no faith in the Met to do the right thing on their own. That’s why we will continue to fight for justice and accountability - until Martyn Blake is removed from the Met and barred from ever working as a police officer again.”
Deborah Coles, Director of INQUEST, said: “The IOPC’s decision to direct disciplinary action over the killing of Chris Kaba is welcome. But the fact that the Metropolitan police required direction and were not willing to take this step themselves is reprehensible.
Instead of addressing the toxic culture exposed in the Casey review and ending police killings, they are putting their energy into lobbying for greater protections for firearms officers. There cannot be one standard for the police and another for the public. That erodes trust and erases justice; it’s impunity.”
Daniel Machover and Ellie Cornish of Hickman and Rose, who represent the family, said: "In April 2023, six months after Chris Kaba's death, the Metropolitan Police Service agreed with the IOPC that Martyn Blake had a case to answer for gross misconduct.
It is disappointing that the MPS later changed its mind about this; and it is welcome that the IOPC has not. It is right that this officer's actions are held to account in accordance with the applicable professional standard on the use of force.
Chris Kaba's family today call upon the IOPC to present the misconduct case to the disciplinary panel so that the process is as fair and rigorous as possible. There must be no further delay in hearing the case."
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information contact Leila Hagmann on
[email protected] or 07884792842.
Follow the Justice for Chris Kaba campaign here.
Chris’s family are represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Daniel Machover and Ellie Cornish of Hickman & Rose, and Matthew Ryder KC and Ifeanyi Odogwu of Matrix Chambers. The family are supported by INQUEST.
RELEVANT BACKGROUND
In July 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that police officers can face disciplinary action if their use of force wasn't legally reasonable — not just based on what they believed at the time. The legal case was brought by firearms officer W80 who killed Jermain Baker. They were seeking to challenge the decision of the IOPC to bring gross misconduct proceedings against them. More information.
A review by Baroness Casey in 2023 found that the Metropolitan police was institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynistic. Looking at the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Firearms Command unit (MO19), which Martyn Blake was in when he shot Chris Kaba, the report found a ‘deeply troubling, toxic culture’ where ‘normal rules do not seem to apply.’
Wayne Couzens, who murdered Sarah Everard, and David Carrick, who was jailed for life over a series of rapes, were both armed officers in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection unit, another armed unit singled out by Casey’s report.
On 23 April 2025, the Home Office announced amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill that will give firearms officers accused of murder anonymity up to the point of conviction, along with other reforms aimed at speeding up such cases. INQUEST and JUSTICE previously called for the Home Office to reject these changes. See open letter and parliamentary briefing.
CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS OF POLICE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN DEATHS
Since 1990 there have been 1,926 deaths recorded by INQUEST in or following police custody or contact. In that time only one on duty police officer has been found guilty of manslaughter in 2021, and none for murder.
Dalian Atkinson, 48, died on 15 August 2016, following use of force by officers of West Mercia police. PC Benjamin Monk was found guilty of his manslaughter, and was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2021. More information.
In total there have been 12 murder or manslaughter prosecutions brought relating to on duty police officers, including the prosecution of Martyn Blake and the prosecution in the Dalian Atkinson case.
The ten other murder and manslaughter charges did not result in guilty verdicts. Three of these previous cases related to police shootings (this is the fourth), two of which were by Metropolitan Police officers.
Prosecutions have also been brought following deaths in police contact under Health and Safety legislation.
Other criminal charges against officers, such as perjury and misconduct in public office, have been brought following deaths in custody, but most have led to acquittals or not guilty verdicts.
FATAL POLICE SHOOTINGS
Since 1990, INQUEST is aware of 85 people that have been fatally shot by the police in England and Wales.
There have been three other murder or manslaughter prosecutions following police shootings:
- Azelle Rodney was fatally shot by a Metropolitan police officer in 2005 during a hard stop in North London. Following the public inquiry into the death, which found the officer did not have a lawful justification for killing Azelle, the officer was prosecuted with murder. In 2015, that officer was found not guilty by a majority verdict.
- James Ashley was fatally shot in his bedroom by police in 1998 in St Leonards, East Sussex. PC Sherwood was charged following an investigation into the death. Four other Sussex officers were charged with other offences. In 2001, the trials collapsed and no officer was found guilty of any criminal charge.
- David Ewin was fatally shot by police in Barnes, London in February 1995. The Metropolitan Police officer who shot him was found not guilty of both the murder and manslaughter of David in 1997. It was the third time the officer had faced trial, after previous juries failed to reach a verdict.
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Chris Kaba
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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) have today announced that the firearms officer who killed Chris Kaba will face a misconduct hearing.
Chris Kaba, a 24 year old Black man, was fatally shot by Martyn Blake, a firearms officer from the Metropolitan Police on 5 September 2022 in Streatham, London. Chris was unarmed and police officers did not know who he was at the time of the shooting.
Chris’ family said: “We welcome the IOPC’s direction that the Met Police must bring disciplinary proceedings against Martyn Blake. We hope this leads to him being removed from the Met Police.
What Martyn Blake did was deeply wrong. We are still so devastated to have lost Chris - this should never have happened.
The fact that the Met promoted Martyn Blake after the verdict only deepened our pain and showed a complete disregard for our loss. Martyn Blake should not be allowed to remain a police officer. He should lose his job.”
Sheeda Queen, Temi Mwale and Kayza Rose of the Justice for Chris Kaba Campaign, said: “Martyn Blake must be fired. The Met Police sent a devastating message when they promoted him immediately after the verdict - a decision that showed utter contempt for Chris’s life and for our community.
Despite the IOPC’s clear direction today that misconduct proceedings must go ahead, we have no faith in the Met to do the right thing on their own. That’s why we will continue to fight for justice and accountability - until Martyn Blake is removed from the Met and barred from ever working as a police officer again.”
Deborah Coles, Director of INQUEST, said: “The IOPC’s decision to direct disciplinary action over the killing of Chris Kaba is welcome. But the fact that the Metropolitan police required direction and were not willing to take this step themselves is reprehensible.
Instead of addressing the toxic culture exposed in the Casey review and ending police killings, they are putting their energy into lobbying for greater protections for firearms officers. There cannot be one standard for the police and another for the public. That erodes trust and erases justice; it’s impunity.”
Daniel Machover and Ellie Cornish of Hickman and Rose, who represent the family, said: "In April 2023, six months after Chris Kaba's death, the Metropolitan Police Service agreed with the IOPC that Martyn Blake had a case to answer for gross misconduct.
It is disappointing that the MPS later changed its mind about this; and it is welcome that the IOPC has not. It is right that this officer's actions are held to account in accordance with the applicable professional standard on the use of force.
Chris Kaba's family today call upon the IOPC to present the misconduct case to the disciplinary panel so that the process is as fair and rigorous as possible. There must be no further delay in hearing the case."
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information contact Leila Hagmann on [email protected] or 07884792842.
Follow the Justice for Chris Kaba campaign here.
Chris’s family are represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Daniel Machover and Ellie Cornish of Hickman & Rose, and Matthew Ryder KC and Ifeanyi Odogwu of Matrix Chambers. The family are supported by INQUEST.
RELEVANT BACKGROUND
In July 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that police officers can face disciplinary action if their use of force wasn't legally reasonable — not just based on what they believed at the time. The legal case was brought by firearms officer W80 who killed Jermain Baker. They were seeking to challenge the decision of the IOPC to bring gross misconduct proceedings against them. More information.
A review by Baroness Casey in 2023 found that the Metropolitan police was institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynistic. Looking at the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Firearms Command unit (MO19), which Martyn Blake was in when he shot Chris Kaba, the report found a ‘deeply troubling, toxic culture’ where ‘normal rules do not seem to apply.’
Wayne Couzens, who murdered Sarah Everard, and David Carrick, who was jailed for life over a series of rapes, were both armed officers in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection unit, another armed unit singled out by Casey’s report.
On 23 April 2025, the Home Office announced amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill that will give firearms officers accused of murder anonymity up to the point of conviction, along with other reforms aimed at speeding up such cases. INQUEST and JUSTICE previously called for the Home Office to reject these changes. See open letter and parliamentary briefing.
CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS OF POLICE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN DEATHS
Since 1990 there have been 1,926 deaths recorded by INQUEST in or following police custody or contact. In that time only one on duty police officer has been found guilty of manslaughter in 2021, and none for murder.
Dalian Atkinson, 48, died on 15 August 2016, following use of force by officers of West Mercia police. PC Benjamin Monk was found guilty of his manslaughter, and was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2021. More information.
In total there have been 12 murder or manslaughter prosecutions brought relating to on duty police officers, including the prosecution of Martyn Blake and the prosecution in the Dalian Atkinson case.
The ten other murder and manslaughter charges did not result in guilty verdicts. Three of these previous cases related to police shootings (this is the fourth), two of which were by Metropolitan Police officers.
Prosecutions have also been brought following deaths in police contact under Health and Safety legislation.
Other criminal charges against officers, such as perjury and misconduct in public office, have been brought following deaths in custody, but most have led to acquittals or not guilty verdicts.
FATAL POLICE SHOOTINGS
Since 1990, INQUEST is aware of 85 people that have been fatally shot by the police in England and Wales.
There have been three other murder or manslaughter prosecutions following police shootings:
PREVIOUS MEDIA RELEASES
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