The Metropolitan Police officer who shot Chris Kaba has been placed on administrative leave. Chris Kaba, a well-known drill rap artist, died on Monday, September 5th, after a police pursuit ended in Streatham Hill. According to preliminary reports, Kaba’s Audi was involved in a firearms incident that occurred just a few days before. Officers in the area were alerted to the vehicle’s presence when it passed through a set of Automatic Number Plate Readers (ANPR). Several Armed Response Vehicles (ARVs) arrived on the scene and quickly identified the Audi. However, when officers signalled for the Audi to stop, it did not. A chase ensued, which ended when the fleeing Audi was boxed in. There have been no details released about the nature of the firearms incident that occurred in the days preceding the incident or the intelligence linked to the Audi that Kaba was driving. Kaba’s family demanded that the officer involved in the shooting be suspended from duty in the days following the incident. The officer had already been placed on restricted duties, which meant he was no longer on the front lines of law enforcement. Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP and Harriet Harman MP issued a statement yesterday, September 12th, calling for the officer involved in the shooting to be immediately suspended. The Met confirmed last night that the AFO had been suspended from duty. Amanda Pearson, Assistant Commissioner, stated: “The firearms officer involved in Chris Kaba’s death has been suspended from duty.” “This decision was made after careful consideration of a number of factors, including the significant impact on public confidence and the announcement of a homicide investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.” “Our hearts and prayers are with Mr Kaba’s family and friends.” We recognise how concerned communities, particularly Black communities, are and thank those who are collaborating with our local officers. We are actively supporting the IOPC investigation and would like to encourage anyone with information that could help determine what happened to contact the IOPC directly in order to maintain the independence of their investigation.” “The suspension of the officer has no bearing on the outcome of the IOPC investigation.” “Firearms officers serve to protect the public and are aware that if they discharge their weapons on rare occasions, they will face intense scrutiny.” I’m sure this will have a significant impact on the officer and his colleagues.” The Metropolitan Police Federation and the Police Firearms Officers Association have not yet issued a statement.
