A Met Police officer who shot and killed a 24-year-old Black man in 2022 has been acquitted of murder – which was entirely predictable to anyone who’s been paying attention. Martyn Blake shot unarmed Chris Kaba in the head during a police vehicle stop in South London. Kaba was expecting his first child – a daughter – who was born shortly after his death.
Martyn Blake: getting away with murder
The Met will be immediately reinstating the officer, after suspending him during the legal process.
This is despite the fact that police lied through their teeth about the events which led up to his cold-blooded murder. Of course, it was like clockwork in this instance too. It’s not exactly the first time the police have lied about the Black men they’ve murdered, as the Canary has previously pointed out.
Even after all that, Martyn Blake got away with Chris Kaba’s murder – and not only that, he’s back in action too:
The police officer who murdered Chris Kaba has been cleared of his murder. Black people can never ever expect full justice in Britain as its institutions, political judicial and its media are riddled with white supremacy and anti-black racism.
— Esheru (@EsheruKwaku) October 21, 2024
This is injustice. Martyn Blake killed Chris Kaba in cold blood but because he’s White & cloaked in authority of institutionally racist Met Police, he’s been acquitted of killing unarmed Black civilian by an equally racist justice system. White Supremacy personified.
Feigning… pic.twitter.com/Rgw1wxCtL6
— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) October 21, 2024
In a statement released on X, Kaba’s family said:
The acquittal of Martyn Blake isn’t just a failure for our family, but for all those affected by police violence.
Chris Kaba: the victim of institutional racism
When anti-racism activists say, no justice, no peace – this is a clear manifestation of that. For Chris Kaba’s family, they now have to live with the reality that his cold-blooded killer walks free, and will continue as a cop on the beat:
Chris Kaba’s family has issued a statement:
‘The not guilty verdict leaves us with the deep pain of injustice… this decision shows his life – and many others like him – does not matter to the system.’
Full statement attached. pic.twitter.com/ffIBDTMk7U
— Ria Chatterjee (@RiaChatter) October 21, 2024
Of course, Martyn Blake’s prosecution would have done little to address the institutional racism at the heart of the Met. That’s because he’s hardly the only one. The Met has suspended 201 officers and put 860 more on restricted duties as it investigates them. That’s over three in every 100 officers who have done something so serious it warrants action against them. And that’s just the ones we know about.
In other words, it’s systemic. But let’s be clear, Blake, now vindicated by a criminal justice system that’s stacked against marginalised communities, is still a racist piece of scum. He’s a murderer – no matter what the courts have said:
There’s a pattern in the justice system here. They prosecute with the strongest charges which gets people’s hopes up, only to see the case dismissed in the court. The perpetrator gets off free & community relations remain rock bottom. Repeat… May Chris Kaba R.I.P 🙏🏾
— Mike Royal (@_mikeroyal) October 21, 2024
The way my body is feeling about the news of the NG verdict of Officer that killed Chris Kaba. Racial trauma is literally constantly relived by us as a collective with these repeated acts systemic anti-Blackness. Each event building upon each other.
— Duchess of Brixton🇯🇲🇳🇬 ☭ (@fufuisonme) October 21, 2024
Criminal industrial complex
As the Canary’s Steve Topple previously pointed out, cops are known for evading prosecution for murder. Since 1990, the CPS has never successfully prosecuted a cop for murder. The courts have only successfully prosecuted one – for manslaughter. The CPS has only ever brought ten other murder or manslaughter charges against cops – and none of these were successful. This is despite there being, as INQUEST noted:
1,871 deaths in or following police custody or contact in England and Wales.
That’s a conviction rate of 0.05%.
Martyn Blake who shot & killed Chris Kaba has been found not guilty of murder.
I’m thinking of the Kaba’s and every family who has faced this grief & injustice.
No UK police officer has been found guilty of murder, despite damning evidence in many cases.https://t.co/7n6F3r7OnI
— Lucy Brisbane McKay (@lucybrisbane) October 21, 2024
So, here we go again with a white cop killing a Black man and getting away with it. It’s little wonder police act with such visibly racist impunity.
What this shows is the white supremacy and institutional racism of the Met – and the criminal justice system more broadly – in action:
Chris Kaba’s police officer murderer getting off scott free is a disgrace and a clear window into this so-called justice system.
This verdict sends a message that it’s okay for that useless institution to kill an unarmed man simply because he is Black. We can’t let it end here. pic.twitter.com/hwKfY2OJzR
— O 🌚🌝 (@chukwucha_) October 21, 2024
Of course the criminal industrial complex – that is, the nexus between the state, the police, the courts, and all its infrastructure – are racist. They were born from colonialism and the oppression and othering of Black and brown lives.
Chris Kaba’s family deserve justice, and they deserve peace, but that’s not what any of those things exist to do. So, for the state, they’re functioning exactly how they should be.
Feature image via Sky News/Youtube
