The Metropolitan Police marksman, Martyn Blake, who fatally shot 24-year-old Chris Kaba in South London in 2022, told a jury at the Old Bailey that he believed one of his colleagues was “about to die” when he opened fire. Blake, giving evidence for the first time in public, recounted the moments leading up to the shooting, stating that he was “filled with dread” as the Audi driven by Mr Kaba moved back and forth while being surrounded by armed police officers.
The incident occurred on September 5, 2022, in Streatham, where Mr Kaba was hemmed in by police cars and allegedly tried to ram his way out between a marked police vehicle and a nearby Tesla. Blake fired through the windscreen, striking Mr Kaba, who later died from a gunshot wound to the head.
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Blake, who is accused of murder, which he denies, told the court that he could hear the sound of the car’s wheels spinning and the engine revving as officers ordered Mr Kaba to exit the vehicle. He said that at the time, he believed his colleagues were in immediate danger, prompting him to act.
“I had a genuine belief that there was an imminent threat to life, I thought one or more of my colleagues was about to die,” Blake testified. “If I hadn’t acted, I thought one of my colleagues would be dead. I felt I had a duty to protect them.”
Blake explained that he aimed his firearm above the steering wheel, as he had been trained to target the driver’s central body mass. When asked if he intended to kill Mr. Kaba, he responded, “No,” but acknowledged that the shot, at such close range, could be fatal.
During cross-examination, Blake’s barrister, Patrick Gibbs KC, told the court that Blake acted out of necessity, stating: “He believed in the moment that the only way to negate a real and imminent threat to his colleagues was to do that momentous thing.”
Prosecutors have suggested that Blake either made a mistaken decision about the threat level or acted unlawfully, but his defence argues that he had a genuine belief that his actions were justified. Other officers present at the scene, including DS87 and E156, have testified that they were also moments away from firing at Mr. Kaba.
Members of Mr. Kaba’s family were present in court as Blake gave his evidence, while the trial continued.
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