A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with the murder of Chris Kaba, the 22 year old construction worker who was shot in South London last September. The police officer, who is known only as NX121 for legal reasons, will appear in court on Thursday 21 September.
Kaba was shot during a police chase in Streatham Hill on September 5, 2022. He was unarmed and driving an Audi. After being chased by several police cars, he was stopped. Then, an officer shot him through the window of the car at 23:00 BST. Kaba died early the following morning in hospital.
As IOPC lead investigator Dean Brown later confirmed, the police had been chasing the Audi Kaba was driving as they believed it was “linked to a firearms incident which took place the previous day”. Kaba, however, had not even been a suspect in the case.
Kaba’s family released a statement following the Crown Prosecution Service’s announcement of the officer’s murder charge. “Chris was so very loved by our family and all his friends,” it read. “He had a bright future ahead of him, but his life was cut short. Our family and our wider community must see justice for Chris. We welcome this charging decision, which could not have come too soon. Now we await the trial of the firearms officer without delay and hope and pray that justice will be served.”
The Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Millichap stated that the Met Police “fully supported the IOPC investigation”. She added, “We must now allow the court process to run its course so it would not be appropriate for me to say more at this stage.”
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Chris’ death in 2022 was followed by widespread protests and further accusations of racism within the police force. Earlier this month, members of the public joined with Kaba’s family to march from New Scotland Yard to Parliament Square on the anniversary of his death, demanding justice.
“God has given me the strength to fight until we’ve got justice,” said Chris’ mother, Helen Kaba, at the event. “We need accountability, we need an answer for what happened to Chris.”
She continued: “The CPS have got everything, they’ve got evidence to decide to charge the officer who killed Chris. Why in the 21st century should this happen to Chris? No matter what, we need an answer and we need a charging decision without delay.”