It does seem as though the system doesn't give [officers] the benefit of doubt that was given by the jury in this case
These proposed changes are both alarming and wholly inappropriate in a modern democracy. What we need as a society is better accountability and not more hurdles to accountability.”
The IOPC [Independent Office for Police Conduct] are not very talented investigators and they are desperate to prove their credibility to the black community.”
The police officer is doing his job – you obey the law. The police officers know him as a gunman and a troublemaker – [If I’m a police officer] I’ve got to make sure I’m safe. They were both wrong – there’s no right.”
But what can you say? There’s nothing you can do,
If the rationale is a police officer only needs a reasonable belief to fire his weapon, then it’s tantamount to a licence to kill,
So many Black men have faced harm, in some cases death, following contact with the police,
I went to all the vigils, because it’s just down the road from me,
Even though [Chris Kaba] was known as a violent man, if this is my job, I’ve got to look at the situation. I could shoot him in the leg, you could reach for the gun,
We need to make sure to build community confidence in policing, but ensure the police have confidence in their operational skills and confidence to do their duty, because at the end of the day they are protecting society.
This...case has had a huge reputational impact on his career and on the force at large
As someone who carried a firearm in specialist roles for years I simply can't understand how he was charged
After two years suspended, a police officer who volunteered to be in harm's way tackling Britain's most dangerous criminals got cleared in court
I worry about the lack of support officers face for doing their best, but most of all, I worry for the public
We presented the case on the basis that this was murder and that there was no realistic alternative. This is because our case was that the defendant used fatal force and therefore intended to kill or at the very least to cause serious harm and that he was not acting in lawful self-defence.”
We cannot live the pain felt by his family, but we can support them in demanding #JusticeForChrisKaba."
Chris has a mother, he has a family, he has brothers, he has friends, people who knew him in real life, who for them, it's unbearable."
The male had already shown a propensity to use violence and was happy to use any means to escape and I had a genuine held belief that one or many of my colleagues could be killed by the car, and that the driver would not stop his attempt to escape at any cost.”
Having spotted Malutshi in the nightclub, I am sure Kaba decided he was going to shoot him."
In nearly 30 years of service, I have never been more concerned about the welfare of an officer or the likelihood of them or their family coming to serious harm as I am about Martyn Blake in this case.