Campaigners and police representatives have called for change following the acquittal of a Metropolitan Police firearms officer accused of the murder of Chris Kaba.
Martyn Blake was cleared of the murder of Mr Kaba, who died after being shot in the head by the police marksman in south London in September 2022.
A jury at the Old Bailey acquitted Mr Blake after around three-and-a-half hours of deliberation on Monday.
After the verdict on Monday afternoon, Mr Kaba’s family said they were “devastated” and felt “the deep pain of injustice”.
Campaigners supporting Mr Kaba’s family have urged members of the public to attend a march on Saturday – saying “don’t let this family suffer alone”.
Rank and file officers were understood to “remain astonished” that criminal charges against Mr Blake were brought, as the Crown Prosecution Service and police watchdog defended the decision.
The Police Federation of England and Wales said officers were “rightly asking what protection they have when doing such a dangerous, complex and demanding job”.
It comes after more than 100 protesters gathered outside the Old Bailey with Mr Kaba’s family on Monday evening.
A banner was held that said “We Keep Each Other Safe”, as well as placards saying “Justice for Chris Kaba”, and chants of “Say his name – Chris Kaba” and “No justice – no peace” were heard outside the court.
Mr Kaba’s family 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”.
Mr Kaba’s cousin spoke at the event about how the family had hoped for a guilty verdict.
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.”
Labour MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who is supporting the family, said the trial showed that “nobody is above the law” and called for “urgent efforts” to rebuild trust between police and communities.
“We’ve got to respect the process and the verdict but (the family) rightfully have questions,” Ms Ribeiro-Addy, who attended the protest on Monday, told the PA news agency.
“I support the right to protest. I support the right people have to ask questions. It’s important we hold our officers to account. We have a system of policing with consent in this country.”
The Crown Prosecution Service and the watchdog that investigated the shooting sought to defend the decision to bring criminal charges against Mr Blake, saying the decision was made after an in-depth consideration of the evidence and that it was right to put the case before a jury.
My statement on today’s verdict. pic.twitter.com/vUKkbEpPE8
— Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP) October 21, 2024
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she would work with forces “to strengthen confidence for the future”, while the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners said it would “reflect on the wider implications” of the case.
The original decision to charge Mr Blake in September last year sparked outrage among his colleagues, with dozens of armed officers downing tools in apparent protest and the army being put on standby to plug the gap.
On Monday, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley again criticised the systems used to hold police officers who take lethal shots to account.
“No police officer is above the law, but we have been clear that the system holding police to account is broken,” he said.
“I worry about the lack of support officers face for doing their best, but most of all, I worry for the public.
“The more we crush the spirit of good officers, the less they can fight crime that risks London becoming less safe.”
The Police Federation of England & Wales’s acting deputy national chair, Brian Booth, said the “ramifications of the NX121 case going to court has gone far wider than the boundary of the Metropolitan Police Service” adding that officers across the other 42 forces are “rightly asking what protection they have when doing such a dangerous, complex and demanding job”.
He added: “The Government must now urgently implement the Accountability Review recommendations so that legal safeguards can be established to allow police officers to have the confidence to do their job, serving and protecting the public.”
Mr Blake, 40, stood trial at the Old Bailey after shooting the 24-year-old through the front windscreen of an Audi Q8 in Streatham, south-east London, on September 5 2022.
The trial heard how the Audi had been used as a getaway vehicle in a shooting the previous evening, and was hemmed in by police cars in Kirkstall Gardens after an officer recognised its registration number.
Mr Kaba drove backwards and forwards trying to ram his way free, which Mr Blake told jurors made him believe one of his colleagues was about to die, so he opened fire to stop the car.
Prosecutors argued that Mr Blake had misjudged the risk, exaggerated the threat to his colleagues in statements following the shooting, and had aimed at Mr Kaba’s head, all of which he denied.
In his defence, jurors heard a series of glowing testimonials from colleagues and senior officers.
Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct will now consider whether Mr Blake should face a disciplinary hearing.
