An armed police officer who was cleared of murder after fatally shooting Chris Kaba will likely never return to active firearms duty, according to the chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation. Paula Dodds stated that Sergeant Martyn Blake, known by his cipher NX121, has not returned to firearms duty since the incident nearly four years ago and may not in the future.
Dodds, speaking on The Trial+ podcast, said that while Blake has returned to work, he is not currently carrying a firearm and has not been operational for the past four years. She questioned whether she, in Blake's position, would feel confident making similar split-second decisions knowing the potential legal and professional repercussions. "Bearing in mind the split seconds I've got to make that decision, and if I'm the senior officer responsible for other officers in the car. I don't know if I could do it, and I think it's a matter for the officer. But he's not carrying at the moment. He hasn't been operational for the last four years, or certainly since he's returned to work," Dodds said.
The shooting occurred in September 2022 after armed police pursued Kaba's vehicle, which had been identified as a getaway car in a previous gang-related shooting. Police boxed in Kaba's vehicle in Streatham, South London. According to reports, Kaba reversed his car into a police vehicle and then accelerated, nearly dragging officers. Sergeant Blake then shot Kaba, who died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
In October 2024, a jury at the Old Bailey acquitted Sergeant Blake of murder. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) later confirmed that Blake would not face a disciplinary probe. However, the Met Police were directed by the IOPC to hold a misconduct hearing for Blake, which was paused in January pending a review of police use-of-force regulations. Dodds criticized the lengthy process, noting that the evidence had not changed and questioning why it took two years for decisions to be made.
Dodds asserted that the prosecution and the subsequent decision to pursue disciplinary proceedings against Blake have had a "cooling effect" on firearms officers nationwide. She argued that the legal ordeal should have been avoided, stating that Blake should never have faced disciplinary proceedings in the first place. The union chief highlighted that firearms officers do not seek to discharge their weapons and are primarily there to protect the public. When a tragic incident occurs and a firearm is discharged, she believes there should be protections in place for the officers involved.
Sergeant Blake had reportedly faced threats following the incident, with a £10,000 bounty placed on his head by gangsters.