Residents of Streatham described the not-guilty verdict rendered to the officer who shot Chris Kaba as a “travesty of justice”, while others argued new information on Kaba’s gang affiliation changed their view.
Metropolitan Police firearms officer Martyn Blake, 40, was acquitted of the murder of Kaba, who was shot dead in his car in Streatham two years ago, on October 21 – a verdict which generated mixed reactions among the district’s residents.
Kaba’s family called the verdict devastating for themselves and for the community, while information released following the trial revealed the 23-year-old’s involvement in the violent ’67’ Brixton Hill gang and the shooting of a man in a nightclub in 2022, six days before being killed by police.
Streatham resident Alex, who lives near the road where Kaba was shot, said: “It’s not surprising he got off, police have a difficult job to do and tend to close ranks, but obviously you can’t go around shooting people.
“And so, it’s really a travesty of justice.”
Alex expressed the commonly-held feeling that, although he had no personal adverse experiences, the treatment one can expect from police interactions depends in part on the colour of one’s skin.
Alex said: “A tallish, white policeman is going to go, ‘Oh there’s a tallish, white guy, he’s all right, he’s like me’, probably.”
Reem, 24, who recently moved to Streatham, described being arrested herself, an experience which left her a distrust of police and the belief that racism still exists within their ranks.
Reem descrbied how she was nervous of future encounters with police, saying: “I don’t trust the police, and after hearing the verdict I am shocked and appalled.”
Some residents, however, reported changing their views on the case after Kaba’s history of gang affiliation and violent crime was made public.
Martin, 53, said the initial feeling in Streatham was that Kaba’s death was an unjustified overreaction from police, but now many view the situation differently.
Martin said: “This story was wrapped up in police injustice and overreaction, but actually, looking at it now, his car was tagged to an incident involving a shooting, which would put you on alert if you were a police officer.
“His parents are saying it’s an injustice – well, actually, you didn’t really know what your son was up to.”
Martin also echoed the sentiment that being white puts him more at ease when dealing with police, and lamented the prejudice still faced by people of colour, who he claimed are still often victims of: “Driving while black”.
Another Streatham resident, Lizzie, took a similar view, arguing that Kaba’s gang affiliation, and failure to comply with police orders, may reveal his intention on the night of his death.
At the time of his death, Kaba was attempting to ram his Audi Q8 through a blockade created by police vehicles, having been stopped in relation to a shooting six days prior.
Lizzie said: “I’ve always said that if you’re being flagged down by police, if you’re innocent, if you haven’t got anything to hide, pull over, end of.
“He didn’t.”
Lizzie added that cases such as this contribute to a feeling of anxiety around police interactions.
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