POLICE OFFICER WHO FATALLY SHOT CHRIS KABA WILL FACE NO DISCIPLINARY ACTION

The Metropolitan Police firearms officer who fatally shot Chris Kaba will not face disciplinary action, marking the latest development in one of the UK's most closely followed police use of force cases.

Sergeant Martyn Blake shot the 24-year-old in Streatham, south London, in September 2022 after armed officers attempted to stop an Audi linked to previous firearms incidents. During the operation, Kaba drove the vehicle towards police cars in an attempt to escape before Blake discharged a single shot. Blake was later charged with murder but was acquitted by a jury at the Old Bailey.

Although the criminal proceedings concluded with Blake's acquittal, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, IOPC, had initially determined there was a case to answer for gross misconduct. Those proceedings were later paused while the Government introduced changes to the legal test applied in police use of force misconduct cases.

Following those changes, the IOPC confirmed that Blake will no longer face misconduct proceedings, concluding that his actions would not amount to misconduct under the updated regulations. The watchdog said the change provides greater consistency and fairness for officers whose use of force is assessed after acting in fast-moving and dangerous situations.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes welcomed the decision, saying the officer, his family and the wider firearms community had endured almost four years of uncertainty. He also said the case demonstrated the need for a faster accountability process while maintaining public confidence in police oversight.

The latest decision has prompted widespread discussion online, with many expressing very different views on the outcome.

Some questioned whether the result was ever likely to be different. One person commented:

"Why are people surprised by this..it was always going to turn out this way sadly.."

Another wrote:

"The forces used against Chris Kaba was excessive and disproportionate to the threat at the time of the incident. The British Justice system should therefore consider and seek a retrial."

Others argued that the officer's actions were justified given the circumstances surrounding the incident and Kaba's criminal background, which emerged during court proceedings. One person commented:

"A known criminal who was actively in a gang war and shot someone only a week before decided to drive their car towards and try run over armed police. Does that sound like a good idea? It’s good the police faces no further actions, they did nothing wrong."

Another added:

"Why are people choosing to forget the part where Chris Kaba shot someone in a club the week before…he wasn’t a saint."

The case has remained highly contentious ever since Kaba's death in September 2022, prompting protests, political debate and renewed scrutiny over police accountability, particularly within Black communities. During Sergeant Blake's murder trial, jurors heard that the Audi Q8 Kaba was driving had previously been used in a firearms incident and had been flagged by police. Officers involved in the stop did not know Kaba's identity at the time, but believed the vehicle had been linked to serious criminality.

Following Blake's acquittal, restrictions preventing the publication of certain evidence were lifted. The court heard that, in the week before his death, Kaba had allegedly shot a man in a nightclub in Hackney, leaving him paralysed. Prosecutors also said he had been involved in another shooting just days later. Because Kaba died before he could be charged or tried, those allegations were never tested before a jury and no findings of guilt were made. The revelations nevertheless became a significant part of the wider public debate, with some arguing they provided important context to the events leading up to the fatal shooting, while others maintained they were irrelevant to whether the force used by the officer was lawful.

The Government's decision to amend the misconduct rules followed concerns raised by policing leaders that officers were being judged under a lower disciplinary threshold than the one applied in criminal courts. The changes mean the legal test for police use of force cases now more closely reflects the criminal law standard, a move ministers said was intended to address concerns around fairness and proportionality.

Despite the latest ruling, the case is unlikely to disappear from public discussion. Chris Kaba's family have consistently maintained that the officer should be held accountable and have criticised the changes to the misconduct process, arguing they weaken police accountability. They continue to seek answers through the forthcoming inquest into Kaba's death.

For supporters of the decision, the announcement finally brings an end to years of legal uncertainty for Sergeant Blake. For others, it represents another chapter in an ongoing debate about policing, accountability and the use of lethal force in the UK, one that continues to divide public opinion almost four years after Chris Kaba's death.