The cousin of an unarmed man shot dead by police says Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ‘doesn’t care about the people’ after Number 10 failed to respond to a letter from the family.
Jefferson Bosela along with the United Friends and Families Campaign (UFFC) led by activist Marcia Rigg, marched to Downing Street on October 29 calling for an urgent meeting with the PM and for changes to the judicial process following state-related deaths.
Chris Kaba was shot dead by armed police while sitting in a car, but no gun was found in the vehicle or near the scene. A homicide investigation into his death was launched and the officer who opened fire was suspended from duty.
But almost three weeks later, the families of those who died in police custody and in mental health facilities have yet to hear back from Downing Street, and have not even ‘been acknowledged.’
Jefferson said: “I think Rishi Sunak doesn't care about the people. I think if he did, he would have responded to the letter.
“We came to Downing Street to remind him, ‘Mr Prime Minister, can you speak?', but he still hasn't spoken.
“We're waiting for an acknowledgment that we exist.”
Families including that of Oladeji Omishore, who was believed to be suffering a mental health crisis when he was Tasered by Met Police, attended the march and handed the letter to Number 10.
The group included the family of Olaseni Lewis, who died in 2010 after being restrained by 11 police officers at a psychiatric hospital.
Speaking at the time, Oladeji's father Alfred Omishore said: “I never thought this could happen to me. It can happen to anybody, it can happen to any family.
“[The police] are not meant to be the enemy of people. They are paid to protect taxpayers, they shouldn't be injuring or killing people.
“The victims of Taser are vulnerable people, people with mental health crises. They need to be supported and cared for but they are getting the opposite.”
Oldeji’s family has launched a legal challenge against the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), calling for a criminal and disciplinary investigation into what led to Oladeji’s death.
Jefferson who worked as a teacher before quitting his job to campaign over the death of his cousin Chris Kaba, says he believes that the Prime Minister ‘doesn’t want to start a dialogue.”
He said: “I think they genuinely do not want to speak to us. They don't want to start that dialogue with us.
“They don't want to build bridges and try to understand the people.
"They are so removed from the lives of ordinary people and the community. So far removed, even tragedies can't make them speak.”
A recent damning report by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services revealed poor vetting standards which showed that officers who had committed criminal offences were employed by forces across the UK .
The report found that: “Officers and staff with criminal records, or suspicions that they had committed crime (including some serious crime), substantial undischarged debt, or family members linked to organised crime.
“In other cases, officers and staff had given false or incomplete information to the vetting unit.
“We also found officers who, despite a history of attracting complaints or allegations of misconduct, successfully transferred between police forces. This is wholly unsatisfactory.”
Prior to that, the Casey Report showed a toxic culture of misconduct failings and misogyny in the Metropolitan Police.
Jefferson says he believes that the Prime Minister is “afraid” of police and that he should have spoken out in light of these reports as well as their letter to him.
He said: “He should have been more vocal about the damning information that's coming to light regarding the police.
“He should have said something because realistically he should say something. He should be able to speak.
“Why is he afraid of the police? Why is everyone afraid to speak up against them? No matter how damning the reports are, it is always met with silence by politicians.
“Look what's happened with Chris, with Deji Omishore; and Rishi Sunak hasn't said a word.
“When you think about it, that's mind blowing. Either he doesn't care or he doesn't know. It’s one or the other. I don't think you can know and be silent and claim that you care."
Jefferson says that he expected the silence from Downing Street and that it is now ‘us versus them.’
He said: “We've given up. We haven't really been waiting [for a response].
“We had very little hope initially. We were highly pessimistic in terms of him replying. We didn't think he would reply.
“It's not a shock, it's not a disappointment, it's just a clear indication that it’s an us versus them kind of mentality.”
“We don't want to play politics or pick sides but at least acknowledge us. We haven't even got that.
“I think the precedent is that they are not going to get back to us. They always say that they will and they never do and it’s just that they don't care.”
When the Mirror contacted Downing Street for comment, a statement was subsequently provided by the Home Office, but it did not address if or when the families would be acknowledged.
It said: “Every death in police custody is unacceptable and we recognise the devastating impact on loved ones.
“We must maintain a zero-tolerance attitude towards these rare, but devastating incidents, and where there are failings, appropriate action must be taken swiftly to address them.
“Every case which involves a death in police custody is automatically investigated by the Independent Office of Police Conduct.”
