Met Police Urges Against Resuming Chris Kaba Inquest

The Metropolitan Police has requested that a full inquest into the death of Chris Kaba not proceed, following the acquittal of the police marksman who fatally shot the 24-year-old.

Kaba's family, however, contend that the officer, identified by the cipher NX121, may have acted "unreasonably" when he discharged his firearm in September 2022. The coroner, Dr. Julian Morris, is expected to announce a decision on whether to resume the inquest next week.

The shooting occurred after armed police intercepted the vehicle Kaba was driving, which had been identified as a getaway car in a gang-related incident the previous night in Brixton, South London. When police surrounded the Audi 4x4 in Streatham, Kaba reportedly revved the engine back and forth, nearly dragging officers under the wheels before the marksman fired.

The officer, who was armed with a semi-automatic carbine, was cleared of murder by a jury at the Old Bailey. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) had previously recommended the officer face a gross misconduct hearing, but later dropped the disciplinary probe in August.

Representing the Met Police, Jason Beer KC argued that reopening the inquest could create confusion rather than clarity regarding the events of that night and was not in the public interest. He stated that the proposed inquest was becoming overly broad and that the facts of the incident had already been thoroughly examined during the criminal trial and IOPC investigation. Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the four years of stress endured by the officer and stating that a resumption of the inquest would be duplicative and not serve the public interest.

Conversely, the family's barrister, Matthew Ryder KC, asserted that a full inquest is necessary to answer the fundamental question: "why did this police officer shoot our son?" He argued that the inquest should explore whether the officer's belief was unreasonable, even if that does not render him criminally liable. Ryder highlighted that inquests have typically followed instances where police officers have shot individuals in public, and suggested the Metropolitan Police Commissioner should be concerned if an officer's actions were based on an unreasonable belief.

Ryder further explained that an inquest could resume after a criminal trial where an officer is cleared, allowing a jury to determine if the officer's understanding was mistaken or inappropriate. The coroner acknowledged the difficulty in separating the 'how' from the 'why' in such cases.

Chris Kaba was described as a "core member" of the Brixton Hill-based 67 gang, which police linked to various violent crimes. Six days prior to his death, Kaba was involved in an incident where he shot a rival in the leg during a gang dispute.