The BBC has come under fire for airing a new documentary about Chris Kaba, a 24-year-old gang member who was fatally shot by a Metropolitan Police officer in 2022. The documentary was broadcast just two weeks after Sergeant Martyn Blake, the officer involved, was acquitted of murder charges at the Old Bailey, and amid ongoing public safety concerns for Sgt Blake following the incident.
Kaba, who was linked to the London gang ’67,’ was shot in Streatham as he allegedly attempted to escape a police blockade with a car tied to an earlier firearms incident. Sgt Blake’s trial concluded swiftly, with the jury reaching a not-guilty verdict within hours. The officer claimed he discharged his weapon in response to a perceived imminent threat. However, backlash ensued as members of Kaba’s former gang allegedly placed a £10,000 bounty on Sgt Blake, forcing him into hiding.
The BBC’s Panorama documentary, titled The Trial of Officer Blake, examines the events surrounding Kaba’s death and the subsequent trial. Former Metropolitan Police officer and commentator Chris Hobbs voiced strong concerns about the program’s release, describing the timing as “questionable,” given the lingering threat to Sgt Blake. Hobbs criticized the documentary, saying, “The flames have only just begun to die down… and then you have the IOPC and the BBC fanning the embers.”
Further raising eyebrows, the documentary features Sal Naseem, a former lead investigator at the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who maintains that he believed Sgt Blake’s use of force was unwarranted. The IOPC later clarified that Naseem’s opinions do not represent the organization’s official stance and that he was not the key decision-maker in the Kaba investigation.
The program also highlights perspectives from Kaba’s family, including his father, Prosper, who expressed his enduring grief. “A parent who loses a son, especially at that age… for me, life doesn’t have any meaning,” he told Panorama.
The BBC defended the documentary, stating: “This investigation is in the public interest… All of our programmes are produced in accordance with the BBC’s editorial guidelines, including impartiality.” The network encouraged viewers to watch the documentary in full to form their own conclusions.
The BBC’s timing of the documentary has sparked debate, with some fearing that it could incite further unrest and potentially increase threats to Sgt Blake’s safety.
