UK Police Officer Who Shot Chris Kaba Faces No Disciplinary Action

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced it will not bring gross misconduct proceedings against Metropolitan Police firearms officer Martyn Blake, who shot and killed 24‑year‑old Chris Kaba in Streatham, south London, in September 2022. Blake had been acquitted of murder at the Old Bailey in October 2024. The decision follows a change in UK law that raised the test for police use‑of‑force cases from a civil to a criminal standard, prompting the IOPC to pause and then withdraw the disciplinary process.

The Kaba family had urged the watchdog to continue the case, while campaign groups warned the move undermines police accountability and public confidence. A coroner will now decide whether an inquest into Kaba’s death will proceed. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had previously pledged reforms to the use‑of‑force framework, which the IOPC cited in its rationale.