Met Police Officer Charged With Murder of Chris Kaba

The Metropolitan Police officer who fatally shot Chris Kaba will be charged with his murder, the Crown Prosecution Service announced today.

Mr Kaba, 24, died after a police operation in Streatham Hill on 5 September 2022. The Met Police officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday where he will be charged.

Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) director Amanda Rowe said: "Today the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced that a Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer will appear in court tomorrow charged with the murder of Chris Kaba, following an investigation by the IOPC."

"The officer and Mr Kaba's family were notified of the decision by the CPS this morning," Rowe added.

Construction worker Chris Kaba, an expectant father, was boxed in by officers tailing his car through Kirkstall Gardens on September 5 last year.

Police followed the vehicle, which Kaba didn't own before he was struck by a single gunshot fired by a Met Police officer just before 23:00 BST.

Kaba, who was unarmed, died in hospital in the early hours of the following morning, an inquest was told.

The consequent murder charge came after his death prompted several protests demanding justice, particularly among London's black communities.

A family statement said: "Chris was so very loved by our family and all his friends. He had a bright future ahead of him, but his life was cut short. Our family and our wider community must see justice for Chris."

"We welcome this charging decision, which could not have come too soon. Now we await the trial of the firearms officer without delay and hope and pray that justice will be served."

Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Millichap described the charging decision as a "significant and serious development" in the case.

She added that the Met "fully supported the IOPC investigation" and "our thoughts are with everyone affected by this case".

"We must now allow the court process to run its course so it would not be appropriate for me to say more at this stage," she added.

It is relatively unusual for police officers to be charged with murder or manslaughter. According to the charity Inquest, since 1990 there have been 1,869 deaths in or following police custody in England and Wales.

Of those, there have been just 12 cases where an officer has been charged with murder or manslaughter.

In addition, there has only been one conviction of a police officer in that time – West Mercia Police Constable Benjamin Monk, who was jailed in 2021 for the manslaughter of former footballer Dalian Atkinson.

Mr Atkinson was tasered to the ground and kicked in the head in 2016. The murder charge comes as the Met faces intense scrutiny for the behaviour of its officers.

Britain's police force is under unprecedented pressure to reform after the conviction of officers for murder and rape, alongside evidence of widespread sexism and misogyny in its ranks.

More than 1,000 Metropolitan Police officers are currently suspended or on restricted duties, the force has said. The crackdown follows convictions of former officers David Carrick, a serial rapist, and murderer Wayne Couzens.

Couzens was given a whole-life sentence for the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021, while in February serial rapist David Carrick was handed 30 years for attacks carried out against a dozen women over two decades.

The Met's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said the number of affected officers was almost the size of a small police force, with one in 34 suspended or restricted. He warned that removing all corrupt officers could take years.

In figures described as "eye-watering", the Met – Britain's largest force which employs 34,000 officers – also revealed that in the past year, 100 officers have been sacked for gross misconduct – up by 66 per cent on the normal rate. And the 201 officers currently suspended represent a rise from 69 in September 2022.

Speaking to reporters at New Scotland Yard, Cundy said there were plans to hold around 30 misconduct hearings and 30 gross incompetence hearings each month, meaning that around 60 officers a month could face the sack.

"This is going to take one, two or more years to root out those who are corrupt," he added.

Last month, the Home Office announced: "Chief constables (or other senior officers) will also be given greater responsibilities to decide whether officers should be sacked, increasing their accountability for their forces, and will now chair independent misconduct panels."