Campaigners "appalled" at decision to drop charges against Met officer who killed Chris Kaba

LEADING CAMPAIGNERS say they are “appalled” at the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) decision to formally drop gross misconduct proceedings against Metropolitan Police firearms officer who killed Chris Kaba.

The IOPC have today announced that they have decided to formally drop gross misconduct proceedings against the Met Police firearms officer Martyn Blake.

Chris, a 24 year old Black man, was fatally shot by Blake, on 5 September 2022 in Streatham, London.

Chris was unarmed.

Armed police officers did not know who he was at the time of the shooting.

Justice for Chris Kaba campaign”appalled” by decision

Temi Mwale, Justice for Chris Kaba Campaign, said: “We are appalled by the IOPC’s decision to abandon disciplinary proceedings against Martyn Blake. This is a devastating blow – not just to Chris Kaba’s family, but to everyone who cares about living in a society where the police are not above the law.

“The extraordinary treatment of Martyn Blake throughout this case sends a dangerous message: when police kill, the system will bend over backwards to protect police officers rather than hold them accountable and deliver justice. The IOPC had a choice. Today it chose not to do the right thing.

“That decision is deeply damaging to public confidence in its independence and its willingness to hold police officers to account.

“The police continue to fight for absolute impunity and Britain is moving backwards on police accountability.

“We will continue to fight for the kind of society we want to live in. A society where no one is above the law – not police officers, not anyone.

“Where those entrusted with the greatest powers are held to the highest standards and where communities can expect accountability, truth and justice as the norm.”

In October 2024, Blake was acquitted of the murder of Chris.

The IOPC reviewed the evidence at the criminal trial and then announced in April 2025 that Blake would face a misconduct hearing.

Chris Kaba’s family

The family subsequently learnt that the Metropolitan police had sent a private letter to the police watchdog, without the family’s knowledge, asking them to withdraw the misconduct process.

In January 2026, the family were informed that the disciplinary proceedings were being paused pending a proposed legislative change to the legal test to apply to future use of force cases.

These changes did then take place in June 2026.

The test that is now applied in order for a police breach of the use of force standard to be proven is the criminal law test for self-defence or defence of another. Until these changes, the Supreme Court made clear that disciplinary panels must apply the civil law test for self-defence or defence of another. This enabled panels to find that misconduct had occurred where police officers had mistakenly used force.

Despite detailed representations from the family, asking the IOPC to follow through on its original intention to proceed with misconduct proceedings, in a letter received today, that request was rejected by the IOPC.

“This is a blow to the family”

The IOPC confirms that it will be withdrawing its decision to bring gross misconduct proceedings against Martyn Blake. This means that he will now not face any disciplinary action or accountability for the fatal shooting of Chris on 5 September 2022.

Unrelated to the disciplinary proceedings, a pre-inquest review hearing is expected to take place this autumn before Senior Coroner Julian Morris at Inner South London Coroner’s Court to consider whether the inquest into Chris’ death will resume.