Chris Kaba: Met Police officer could face criminal charges over fatal shooting

Chris Kaba was unarmed when he was shot dead by police in Streatham Hill in September.
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The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will consider whether to prosecute a Met Police officer for the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black man, following the conclusion of a homicide investigation.

Chris Kaba was shot dead on September 5 in Streatham Hill, south London.

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The Independent Office for Police Conduct has completed its investigation and passed a file of evidence to the CPS.

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “This was a tragic incident and our investigators have been working hard to ensure that our comprehensive investigation has been completed without undue delay and within the six-to-nine-month timeframe we provided.

“Mr Kaba died after he was struck by a single gunshot fired by an MPS officer into the vehicle he was driving.

“During the investigation, the officer was advised they were under criminal investigation for murder and following the conclusion of our investigation we have referred a file of evidence to the CPS to determine whether to charge the officer.”

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She said a referral to the CPS does not necessarily mean criminal charges will follow.

“It is now for the CPS to decide, applying the tests in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, whether or not to prosecute the officer,” she said.

“Mr Kaba’s family and the officer involved have been notified of this development.”

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “My thoughts are with Chris Kaba’s family, friends and loved ones today. Chris had his whole life ahead of him and his death has had a huge impact on Londoners, and in particular Black Londoners, with anger, pain and fear felt across communities, along with a desire for change and justice.

“It was vital that the IOPC fully investigated all the evidence before making a decision, and now that they have referred this case to the CPS, I hope it will be considered as swiftly as possible.”