A police driver revealed he feared his colleague would be run over as he relived the “dramatic” moments before Chris Kaba was shot by a Metropolitan Police marksman, a court heard.
The officer, known only by the cypher AY3, told the Old Bailey one of his team had twice “almost been taken under the wheels” of an Audi being driven by Mr Kaba as armed police surrounded the car.
Police marksman Martyn Blake shot Mr Kaba, 24, in the forehead through the windscreen after he rammed a police car and reversed into one behind during a police stop.
Mr Blake, 40, denies murdering Mr Kaba, 24, during the incident in Streatham, south London, on 5 September 2022.
Giving evidence on Monday, AY3, the driver of an unmarked police Volvo that was behind the Audi, said he saw an officer known as NX109 go towards the driver’s door of the car.
He said he had “almost been taken under the wheels, twice actually”.
He told the jury: “So my whole perspective and focus was on that side (of the car) and the officer, because it was a very dramatic scene.”
AY3 went on: “He’s gone forward to the driver’s door, the vehicle, the Audi has driven forward, at which point it looked to me as though NX109 was going to get scooped up by the rear wheels of the Audi.”
As AY3 gave evidence and viewed dashcam footage from the Volvo and footage from his own body-worn camera of what happened, he realised that in fact two officers had gone to the driver’s door of the Audi, first NX109 and then NX137.
Patrick Gibbs KC, defending, asked him whether police officers are asked to give multiple statements after incidents, because perception is “inevitably” distorted.
AY3 replied: “Yes.”
AY3 said he later heard a gunshot as the Audi reversed towards the Volvo, followed by shouts of “shots fired”and “head shot”.
AY3 then helped give CPR to Mr Kaba before paramedics arrived.
Under questioning by Mr Gibbs, he explained that officers do not train with vehicles shunting backwards and forwards, because it is too dangerous.
They are also advised not to go in a specific area at the front of a car called “the triangle of death”. AY3 told the court there was a risk of “extreme injury or death” had one of the officers been dragged under the Audi.
Describing how officer NX109 had initially approached the driver’s door of the car, he said: “It looked to me as if he almost had hold of the door handle and as the car had driven forward I thought he’s definitely going under, he’s definitely going under the wheels.
“There is an extreme risk of extreme injury or death if you go under the wheels.”
Moments later a second officer, NX137, also approached the car. He said that officer’s position was “worse” and it looked like he was going to get “sucked in and taken by the front wheels”.
Another officer, NX109, told the jury he could hear wheel spinning from the Audi and did not think it was going to stop.
Opening the case against Mr Blake last week, prosecutor Tom Little KC told the court the shooting was not justified and there was no imminent risk to the officers on foot. He suggested Mr Blake may have been “angry” when he pulled the trigger.
He also claimed Mr Blake’s initial account of the incident was “false” in some parts and “exaggerated” in others, claiming the Audi was travelling at speeds of 8mph and a maximum of 12mph when it struck the vehicles which were boxing him in.
“We say that the use of force was not necessary and that his [Mr Blake’s] version of events is false and exaggerated,” Mr Little said.
Mr Blake, who was formerly referred to as officer NX121, denies murder.
The trial, scheduled to last for three weeks, continues.
