In Streatham, south London, armed officers encircled the 24-year-old driver’s Audi Q8 as he attempted to flee, and 40-year-old Martyn Blake fired a single round through the windscreen.
Mr. Blake, who seemed momentarily overcome with emotion as the decision was delivered, was cleared by the jury after around three hours of deliberation on Monday.
In court, Mr. Kaba’s family remained silent, but in a subsequent statement, they expressed “the deep pain of injustice” over the not guilty judgment.
The unspeakable loss we have experienced should not befall any family. Chris was taken from us, and this ruling demonstrates that the system does not care about his life or the lives of countless others like him. “Our son deserved better,” the campaign organization Inquest said in a statement.
Martyn Blake’s acquittal is a failure for our family and all those affected by police brutality.
The family promised to keep working for “justice and for real change” and to not be silent.
The Justice For Chris Kaba Campaign described the verdict as a “devastating moment” for the “family, our community, and the nation.”
