After a jury cleared police marksman Martyn Blake on Monday of killing Chris Kaba in Streatham, south London, in September 2022, Yvette Cooper launched an investigation into the accountability of weapons officers and public trust in law enforcement.
Armed officers encircled the Audi Q8 that 24-year-old Kaba was driving as he attempted to flee, and Mr. Blake, 40, fired a single round through the windscreen.
After media outlets contested the legal application to safeguard his identify, a judge revoked an anonymity order in March of this year, revealing the Metropolitan Police firearms officer’s identity for the first time.
According to reports, he is currently living in hiding, fearful for his life and his family after a £10,000 reward was offered to anyone willing to murder Kaba. Prior to that, he was known by the alias NX121 due to threats made against him.
According to Ms. Cooper, the decision will be included in a future crime and policing statute, and officers will now remain anonymous until they are found guilty.
