The killing of Chris Kaba, a young man and father to be, at the hands of the Met Police, has devastated a family and once again broken the hearts of Black people across the country. This weekend over 3000 people stood in solidarity with Chris’s devastated family at a peaceful protest outside Scotland Yard.
We wholeheartedly back their call for the police officer who fatally shot Chris to be immediately suspended. It is inconceivable that the officer remains on duty. Simply removing them from operational duties isn’t enough. If the police are as serious as they claim about wanting to regain the trust of Black communities in Britain, they must act and they must act now. In addition, we back the family’s call for the release of body worn footage, for them to be given details of when the IOPC investigation will conclude and full accountability for Chris’s death.
This is a critical test of the new Commissioner who leads a force which is in special measures. Chris Kaba was killed by a system in which Black people are 5 times more likely to have force used against them than White people. Chris is the second Black man to be killed at the hands of the Met in just three months. Things have got to change.
