Martyn Blake: Met police marksman cleared of murder over fatal shooting of Chris Kaba

Metropolitan Police firearms officer Martyn Blake, 40, had been accused of murdering the 24-year-old whom he shot through the windscreen of an Audi Q8 in Streatham, south London, on September 5, 2022.

During the trial at the Old Bailey, jurors heard that Kaba had attempted to escape by driving the car backward and forward while surrounded by police vehicles.

Prosecutor Tom Little KC argued that Blake had misjudged the danger to his fellow officers and deliberately aimed for Kaba’s head, saying the officer had exaggerated the threat in his statements after the shooting.

Little said Blake had inaccurately claimed the Audi was driven toward him and another officer, which he described as “a gross exaggeration.” The jury was also informed that the vehicle had been involved in a shooting in Brixton the previous night, though officers were unaware of who was driving at the time.

Blake defended his actions, telling the court that he genuinely believed a colleague’s life was at risk and that shooting Kaba was the only way to prevent harm.

Fellow officers supported his account, with one known as DS87 stating that he would have fired if Blake had not, while another officer, E156, said he was “fractions of a second” away from doing the same.