A police officer in south London shot and killed Chris Kaba last year. The Crown Prosecution Service has charged the police officer with murder.
A person who was 24 years old got shot and died in Streatham Hill on September 5, 2022.
Rosemary Ainslie, who oversees the special crime division of the CPS, stated that after carefully examining the evidence presented by the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct), the CPS has given permission to charge a Metropolitan Police officer with murder in connection to the death of Chris Kaba.
The person in charge, who we can’t say the name of right now for legal reasons, is going to court on Thursday (September 21) at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
We are thinking about Mr. Kaba’s family and everyone who has been affected by this very sad event.
‘It is crucial that the legal process for prosecuting criminals can continue. ‘
Mr Kaba was driving his car on Kirkstall Gardens when a police car with markings blocked his way. The two cars made contact with each other, as mentioned in court.
They think that the Audi he was driving was involved in a shooting that happened the day before.
A special marker was put on the car that can automatically recognize its number plate.
A police officer who is good at shooting, shot Mr. Kaba in the head through the car windshield.
After he died, many people in London held vigils and protested against how the police were treating Black people.
Chris was very loved by his family and friends, as his family said in a statement.
He had a promising future ahead of him, but he died young. We need to make sure that Chris gets justice in our family and our community.
We are happy about the decision to press charges, and we think it should have happened earlier.
We are waiting for the trial of the police officer who used a gun. We want it to happen quickly and hope that justice will be done.
Anita Sharma, who is in charge of handling cases at INQUEST, said that families who have lost loved ones should be able to trust that police officers who cause harm will be punished as criminals. However, this doesn’t happen as often as it should.
Today, we are happy with the decision made by the Crown Prosecution Service.
We need to focus on the next steps of this legal case and move quickly. But we also need to closely examine what the officer did.
Chris, a Black man, was shot in the head by a police officer in the streets of London. Chris did not have any weapons.
‘His death has made people in our country and around the world upset and once again shown the racism and violence in the way police treat people. ’
Daniel Machover, a lawyer from Hickman & Rose, who is helping the family, said: ‘In the last year, Chris’s family have been very strong and brave as they have asked for information about how Chris died, and wanted fairness and punishment for him.
‘The decision to charge someone today gives a little hope that justice might happen for Chris, but the family still has to keep waiting for answers. ‘
Helen Millichap, who works for the Met, said: ‘We have completely supported the IOPC investigation as it has tried to find out the truth. ‘
Today’s announcement is very important and something that should be taken seriously. We have to let the court do its job, so I can’t say anything more right now.
We are thinking about everyone who has been affected by this situation.