Protesters gather after police marksman cleared of Chris Kaba murder

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Old Bailey with Chris Kaba’s family after the police marksman who fatally shot him was cleared of murder.

Metropolitan Police firearms officer, Martyn Blake, was acquitted by a jury at the Old Bailey after around three and a half hours of deliberation on Monday.

Mr Blake, 40, stood trial after shooting the 24-year-old through the front windscreen of an Audi Q8 in Streatham, south-east London, on September 5 2022.

Mr Kaba’s family said they are “devastated” and feel “the deep pain of injustice”.

They said the verdict was a failure “for all those affected by police violence”, adding that “no family should endure the unimaginable grief we have faced”.

In a statement issued by campaign group Inquest, Mr Kaba’s family said they would “continue fighting for Chris, for justice, and for real change”.

On Monday evening, more than 100 people gathered outside the Old Bailey, where a number of speakers demanded “justice” for Mr Kaba and his family.

A banner was held that said “We Keep Each Other Safe”, as well as placards saying “Justice for Chris Kaba”.

Chants of “Say his name – Chris Kaba” and “No justice – no peace” were heard outside the Central Criminal Court on Monday evening as police closed off the road to traffic.

One of the speakers called for people to join the United Families and Friends Campaign (UFFC) on a march being held on Saturday in central London, which marks 25 years of the campaign, and said Mr Kaba’s family will be there and will hand a letter to Downing Street.

The campaign group supports the families of “loved ones lost at the hands of the state”.

The speaker appealed for people to join the march, saying “don’t let this family suffer alone”.

The speaker said: “We should not be here 25 years later.

“We should not still be marching after a quarter century. And it is not an anniversary that we can say we celebrate, but we will mark that occasion.”

Mr Kaba’s cousin spoke at the event about how the family had hoped for a guilty verdict.

She said: “We had some hope, just a little, just a little bit of hope, that maybe, maybe Chris’s case will be the first.”

She also said they “haven’t really begun to process” the verdict.

She spoke about how the family watched footage showing Mr Kaba being killed at the start of the trial and her auntie started “shaking uncontrollably” and crying.

“Day two onwards up until today, my auntie sat in that court, held it together,” she added.

“The only thing that was shaking was her legs. She held back every tear.”

She spoke about how the family had to watch footage showing Mr Kaba’s fatal shooting “day in, day out”.

Speaking outside Scotland Yard on Monday, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said Mr Blake had made “a huge personal and professional sacrifice” during the two years since the shooting.

Sir Mark said Mr Blake had made “a split-second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and to protect London”.