Chris Kaba: firearms officer to know by July if he will face gross misconduct proceedings

THE METROPOLITAN firearms office who shot and killed Chris Kaba will know by the end of July if he will face gross misconduct proceedings.

Kaba, a 24 year old Black man, was fatally shot by Sgt Martyn Blake, a Metropolitan Police marksmen on 5 September 2022 in Streatham, London.

Kaba was unarmed and police officers did not know who he was at the time of the shooting.

Following a review of the case after Blake was acquitted in October 2024 of murder.

In April 2025 the IOPC confirmed that Blake would face a disciplinary hearing for gross misconduct in relation to his Use of Force.

The BBC has reported, a solicitor for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), told an inquest hearing on Tuesday that the organisation would likely decide whether to proceed with the case by 31 July.

Senior Coroner Dr Julian Morris will also decide in the coming months whether to hold a full inquest into his death, Southwark Coroner’s Court heard.

Proceedings put on hold

In January 2026, the IOPC announced the gross misconduct proceedings against the Metropolitan Police firearms officer who killed Kaba was put on hold.

The decision to put the proceedings on hold, followed a private letter sent by the Metropolitan Police to the watchdog in November 2025, without the family’s knowledge, asking them to withdraw the proceedings completely, given the planned changes to the law.

Chris’ family previously said: “Martyn Blake fatally shot Chris when he was unarmed and without knowing who he was. Until today, Martyn Blake was quite correctly facing imminent disciplinary proceedings for that use of force.

“We cannot understand why we, as Chris’ family, only learned for the first time today that the Met invited the IOPC to drop proceedings against Martyn Blake back in November.

“We are devastated that the IOPC has decided under this kind of police pressure to put on hold the preparations for Martyn Blake’s gross misconduct proceedings.”

Kaba family ‘deeply disappointeed’

The family added: “The IOPC could and should have consulted us last year, in advance of this decision. We would have said then, and we say now, that preparations for these proceedings should continue without more disruption and delay.

“To not involve us until after a decision to pause has been made is deeply disappointing and has damaged our confidence in the independence of the IOPC. The lack of consideration shown to us in this process adds to our trauma and our sense of injustice.”