Britain’s Top Police Officer Criticizes ‘Dangerous Narrative’ Regarding Chris Kaba Shooting

Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and Britain’s most senior police officer, has alleged that “those in positions of authority” have promoted “a dangerous narrative” regarding the 2022 shooting of Chris Kaba, a black Londoner who was stopped by officers. He stated that concentrating on Mr. Kaba’s ethnicity generated “rumour and innuendo” that could “embolden those who work against the public.” Prominent figures, including Labour MPs Diane Abbott and Kim Johnson, and former Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn, voiced concerns about potential police racism or demanded “justice for Chris Kaba.” London Mayor Sadiq Khan commented that the shooting had provoked “anger, pain and fear” among black Londoners. The Runnymede Trust, a charity, posted on Twitter that “the legal system doesn’t deliver real justice for families bereaved by racist state violence.” This tweet was subsequently removed after a jury acquitted police firearms officer Martyn Blake of Mr. Kaba’s murder and an Old Bailey judge lifted a reporting restriction on Mr. Kaba’s criminal history. Sir Mark made these remarks at an event organized by Crimestoppers, a charity that offers anonymous channels for providing information to the police. Addressing the decline in public trust in the police, he stated: “Those in positions of authority need to pull in the same direction on trust. I think unfortunately too often this is just not the case. I think some people need to be more aware of the weight of their words.” He added that “Their attitudes and actions can embolden those who work against the public.” He further elaborated, “From the outset over the last two years, the majority of the conversation online focused entirely on Chris Kaba’s ethnicity.” He continued, “Rumour and innuendo fuelled a quite dangerous narrative about supposed facts that were detached from the evidence presented to court and the verdict delivered by 12 Londoners recently.” While not explicitly naming individuals, he remarked that “some people, with huge influence, risk undermining the British justice system, and those people should know better.” In September 2022, police in south London were pursuing Mr. Kaba’s vehicle when it was intercepted by Mr. Blake and his fellow officers. The car was maneuvered back and forth in what appeared to be an escape attempt. Mr. Blake discharged a single shot, which proved fatal to Mr. Kaba. During his trial, Mr. Blake testified that he had feared for his own life or the lives of his colleagues due to the manner in which the car was being operated. The shooting sparked extensive online commentary and protests. Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader, attended one such protest, stating, “we cannot live the pain felt by his family but we can support them in demanding #JusticeForChrisKaba.” Rapper Stormzy also participated in protests, reportedly remarking about the police, “when these people do these things they get away with it.” He added, “What they’ve done is they’ve killed someone. We can’t sugarcoat it.” In an article, MP Diane Abbott asserted that Mr. Kaba had met a “terrible fate.” She wrote, “People can even lose their lives when going about their daily lives.” She further linked the case to the “wider treatment of black people and other ethnic groups in this country.” The Old Bailey jury was informed that although Mr. Kaba was unarmed, and Mr. Blake testified that he observed the driver to be a “comparatively young and athletic” black man, officers were unaware of the driver’s identity, and the vehicle had been associated with a prior incident. Authorities later revealed video evidence indicating that Mr. Kaba had shot a rival in an incident just days before police stopped and killed him. The Metropolitan Police stated that Mr. Kaba was a prominent member of the 67 gang, which operates in south London. Although news organizations, including the BBC, were aware of his background, legal constraints prevented them from reporting it until the verdict was delivered. In the House of Commons, Labour MP Kim Johnson alleged that the media was employing “racist gang tropes to justify his killing.” However, in his address, Sir Mark stated that Mr. Kaba belonged to a large gang in Lambeth, south London, which “coerces and exploits black boys and draws them into gangs and crime.” He further noted, “They’re amongst the sort of 10 or so most active gangs in London,” and had been implicated in 11 shootings during the previous year. Sir Mark contended that the majority of online discourse had centered not on the core legal question of the case—whether a police officer was justified in firing the fatal shot under the circumstances—but rather on accusations of police racism. He clarified, “that’s not to say that there’s not a national conversation to be had about disproportionality in the justice system.” He cited, “We have a decade of data that tells us that young black men in London are 13 times more likely to be murdered than their white counterparts.” He suggested that this disparity should provoke a national outcry, similar to the criticism directed at the police for their handling of Covid-19 enforcement. He asserted, “Trust in policing will be helped by an honest conversation about the risks facing different communities and a collective effort to give everyone equal chance of thriving in London and not be drawn into criminality.” However, in the wake of Mr. Kaba’s case, Sir Mark supported proposals to grant anonymity to police firearms officers facing serious criminal charges. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has indicated that there will be a presumption of anonymity for firearms officers on trial for shooting suspects until a conviction is reached, though this remains subject to judicial discretion. This measure is included in a set of reforms designed to enhance police accountability. Ms. Abbott tweeted that Sir Mark was expected to be a “new broom” for the Met, but rather than providing a “new beginning,” he had persisted in endorsing a “lack of police accountability.” A spokesperson for the Mayor of London stated that Mr. Khan had “consistently shown his support for firearms officers and had commended them for working under the most extraordinary pressure.” The spokesperson further added that when an individual dies after police contact, it is “right that it’s properly and thoroughly investigated, which is what’s happened in this case.”