A Met Police driver told a court that he feared his colleague was going to be run over just moments before Chris Kaba was fatally shot by a Met firearms officer. The officer, known by the cypher AY3, described the “very dramatic scene” unfolding in Streatham, south-east London, as he gave evidence at the Old Bailey on Monday.
Martyn Blake, 40, a firearms officer, is on trial for the murder of Mr Kaba, who was shot dead on September 5, 2022. The 24-year-old was driving an Audi Q8 linked to a shooting in Brixton the night before, which had been used as a getaway vehicle. Jurors were told that no shotgun or suspects had been found from that earlier incident.
AY3, who was driving an unmarked police vehicle behind the Audi, recounted seeing his colleague, known as NX109, approach the driver’s side of the Audi. He had almost been taken under the wheels, twice actually,” AY3 said, explaining that he feared the officer was at risk of being run over.
The dramatic moment occurred as Kaba allegedly tried to escape by ramming the Audi between a marked police patrol car and a parked vehicle. As the Audi moved, AY3 told the jury he thought NX109 was at risk of being “scooped up by the rear wheels of the Audi.
Blake, the officer charged with Kaba’s murder, fired a single shot through the windscreen, fatally wounding Kaba. He later claimed he opened fire due to a perceived “imminent threat” to life. Blake said the Audi had quickly reversed toward his colleagues, putting them in immediate danger.
In his testimony, AY3 recalled hearing a gunshot and then someone shouting “shots fired” and “headshot.” He then assisted in performing CPR on Mr Kaba until paramedics arrived.
Blake told investigators that he had repeatedly shouted “Armed police, show me your hands” before Kaba drove at great speed towards him and his colleagues. Blake stated that he believed either he or his colleague could have been killed, prompting his decision to open fire.
The trial continues as jurors hear further evidence about the events leading to Chris Kaba’s death.
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