Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Sgt Martyn Blake was cleared of murdering Chris Kaba by a jury at the Old Bailey in October last year I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The armed police officer who shot and killed a gang member in south London is set to face a gross misconduct hearing Metropolitan Police officer Sgt Martyn Blake, 40, shot Chris Kaba dead in Streatham in September 2022 after the 24-year-old tried to escape a police roadblock by driving at officers He fired a single shot through the car’s windscreen, hitting Mr Kaba in the head and killing him Sgt Blake was charged with murder and went on trial in October last year The jury accepted Sgt Blake’s defence that he had followed his training and had used lethal force because he believed his colleagues’ lives were in danger Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he feared charges like those brought against Sgt Blake were “crushing the spirit of good officers” and were making London unsafe after he was cleared of murder An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) spokesperson said: “The IOPC has concluded – after a thorough review of all the evidence – that the case continues to meet the threshold which requires Sergeant Martyn Blake to attend a misconduct hearing “At the end of our investigation into the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba we determined there was sufficient evidence to indicate he may have breached the police professional standards regarding his use of force and therefore had a case to answer for gross misconduct.” IOPC director Amanda Rowe added: “We understand the impact this decision will have on Chris Kaba’s family and Sergeant Blake and acknowledge the significant public interest in this case firearms officers and the wider policing community “This is a decision we have taken based on examining all the evidence views of all parties and by applying the thresholds set out in legislation and guidance which govern our work.” police began following the Audi Q8 that he was driving because it had been used as a getaway car in a shooting in Brixton the night before They did not know who was driving the car at the time although it later emerged Mr Kaba was a core member of one of London’s most dangerous street gangs and was accused of being involved in two shootings in the week before he died Dozens of Met Police armed officers downed tools in outrage when Sgt Blake was charged with murder and the army was put on stand-by to plug the gap A chief officer from an outside force will be asked to chair the disciplinary hearing Mr Blake was publicly named during his trial but restrictions remain in place banning the publication of his address or any description or image of him Home secretary Yvette Cooper is bringing in legal changes that will give police marksmen accused of murder the right to anonymity up to the point of conviction. govt and politics"},{"score":0.672556,"label":"/sports/hunting and shooting"},{"score":0.629351,"label":"/law govt and politics/law enforcement"},{"score":0.579607,"label":"/law Gloria Kaba is a Ghanaian-American sound engineer and writer whose impact spans over a decade Renowned for her contributions to albums such as A Tribe Called Quest's We Got It from Here.. Thank You 4 Your Service and Solange's groundbreaking A Seat at the Table Gloria has made an indelible mark on the music industry From her early days as an intern at Battery Studios to her current role as Technical Director at Power Station at BerkleeNYC Gloria's journey embodies a relentless pursuit of sonic excellence and collaborating with industry icons while championing emerging talent Gloria Kaba is a Ghanaian-American sound engineer Renowned for her contributions to albums such as A Tribe Called Quest's We Got It from Here.. Thank You 4 Your Service and Solange's groundbreaking A Seat at the Table How did you get your start after college The first internship I did was at the indie label I think it was co-owned by Carson Daly at the time I knew that's where everything was happening The next one I did was a major one through Sony “We think we have all the people we need,” but they were looking at my resume and saw that I was interested in production and that I had a little bit of experience with software we have a private studio called Battery Studios We don't actually offer an internship to that studio but we'll talk to the manager and see if that's something they'd be open to.” The manager at the studio was my first mentor At the studio – just like with most studio internships – I was doing similar tasks that a runner would do: Making coffee because I was around people who were interesting to me I started cold calling and emailing studios I got a call back from Legacy Recording Studios and I do think that relationship definitely made me stand out there The manager was very direct and transparent about the type of work and how difficult it is I was running for three years and then assisted for another three years I took that as an opportunity to absorb everything I could A friend of mine from college randomly called me and said and his engineer’s looking for another engineer to start assisting and trade off engineering.” I'm listening to you talk about your life and I don't know that I believe that there are coincidences The traditional studio path still existed then There just aren't many major studios in New York anymore But there's also this new tier that I'm seeing – especially if you've gone through the major labels – of a Pro Tools “op.” It’s someone who's done the assisting and they've gotten to the point where they're very skilled at running the software in the studio They might be called in by an engineer to do the more tedious editing but you have to be in the system to get hooked into those How'd you get involved with Berklee and Power Station A good friend of mine who came up at the same studio had gone on to teach at Berklee Valencia's master's program [in Spain] He was brought on to help put the [Power Station] project together The studio was going to remain open for a few years until all the renovation plans were in place so he needed people who were experienced who he could plug in and run the studio I started as an engineer and moved into management as the years went on and work with clients to put together all the details of their session while also making sure everything on the technical side goes smoothly and we had to adhere to all these rules about spacing For a session that could fit in our Studio A we were often splitting into three different rooms and having to run those sessions simultaneously We have three tracking rooms and one mix room we can have all three rooms going at one time We do a lot of events because of the space I noticed there are a lot of women working there “We're going for a diverse staff.” I'm proud about that I do make it known to them that we are not representative of the wider industry People coming right out of school and into Power Station I think they have this feeling that it's always going to be fair because when they get into leadership positions they're going to know what it's supposed to be I am such a crazy fan of Solange’s A Seat at the Table He had been working with Solange for a few years before I came onboard with him and we were in the middle of working on A Tribe Called Quest finishing up some ideas they had already started This is one of the best albums of the last ten years.” It was pretty casual I remember her recording vocals just on a [Shure SM]57 because he has an encyclopedic knowledge of music I'm really proud that I can say I was a part of that project You're stepping into the producer role these days It's something I've been doing for the past few years One of the bigger projects I've done is Nathalie Joachim She's a classical flautist who also makes electronic music and sings in English and Creole It was my first project where I got to zoom out and see it as a whole For the things I'm creatively involved with It's just a natural thing that I slipped into Did her being from Ghana influence you musically but when I get into some Afrobeats production I definitely borrow from those sounds I was hearing when I was much younger She said that she reached out to me because of my work with Solange but also because I'm a first generation American and because of something that's going to be in me naturally It's going to change the way I hear things but I'm sure it's something that is woven into the fabric powerstation. nyc/gloria-kaba-engineer Back to Interviews SPONSORED LISTEN NOW NEW who shot 24-year-old in south London in 2022 The Metropolitan police armed officer cleared of murdering Chris Kaba should face a disciplinary hearing for gross misconduct where he could face the sack for using excessive force The decision will provoke fury among Met firearms officers and among the force’s leadership Kaba was unarmed when he was shot once in the head through the windscreen of a car he was driving by Martyn Blake Kaba was a violent criminal caught on CCTV months earlier shooting a man in an east London nightclub. He was an alleged “core member” of the 67 gang. Blake did not know this when he opened fire but testified that he feared the car Kaba was driving would run over officers after it was boxed in by police The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) made the decision that Blake should face a gross misconduct hearing despite pressure to drop the case There have been months of behind-the-scenes wrangling between the IOPC and the Met the police watchdog used its legal powers to direct that a hearing be held Blake has been promoted to inspector since his unanimous acquittal in about three hours by an Old Bailey jury and returned to work after a two-year suspension The IOPC case will allege Blake should not have opened fire and so the firing of a single shot amounted to excessive force Blake’s trial heard that in September 2022 in south London police stopped the Audi Kaba was driving not knowing who the driver was only that it could be linked to a shooting the night before The Audi was forced to stop and was then surrounded by armed officers who burst out from three police cars and tried to pull the suspect out who was in a police car that blocked the Audi from the front said he opened fire fearing Kaba would pull an officer under his car’s wheels or run them over as he tried to escape “at any cost” after being blocked in The officer said Kaba’s car was being used as a weapon and he had fired in self-defence and to protect his colleagues with his primary aim being to “incapacitate” the driver who was hunched low over the steering wheel The prosecution at the criminal trial said the Audi was blocked within seconds and could not have escaped nor run over officers at the point Blake fired a shot The prosecution accepted that Kaba made “concerted” efforts to escape but his Audi’s top speed during the standoff was 12mph Fears of armed officers in London walking out if Blake had been found guilty of murder were so acute advanced plans were devised by the government to send troops on to the streets to fill their roles The IOPC said it had reviewed its original decision that Blake should face a discipline hearing The police watchdog said the test for a discipline hearing was lower than for a criminal trial and added: “The guidance is also clear that where the case-to-answer test is met there must be compelling reasons not to direct misconduct proceedings.” The IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “We understand the impact this decision will have on Chris Kaba’s family and Sgt Blake and acknowledge the significant public interest in this case “The legal test for deciding whether there is a case to answer is low: is there sufficient evidence upon which a disciplinary panel could make a finding of misconduct This has been met and therefore we need to follow the legal process.” The Met said it would get a chief officer from another police force to chair the hearing and made clear its continued opposition and concerns for the continuing stress and burden on Blake Assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “NX121 made a split-second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and London “We know another lengthy process will fall heavily on the shoulders of NX121 and more widely our firearms officers who continue to bravely and tirelessly police the streets of London every day to protect the public “Now is not the time for debate and discussion about this case It is important that we do not risk prejudicing NX121’s right to an impartial hearing.” Kaba’s family accused the Met of exacerbating their pain: “What Martyn Blake did was deeply wrong We are still so devastated to have lost Chris – this should never have happened “The fact that the Met promoted Martyn Blake after the verdict only deepened our pain and showed a complete disregard for our loss Martyn Blake should not be allowed to remain a police officer A date for an inquest into Kaba’s death is yet to be set. A government review is considering plans to make it more difficult to prosecute officers, with police claiming that too often they are being put through the ordeal of criminal trials or discipline hearings simply for doing their duty general secretary of the Met Police Federation said: “This is frankly a nonsensical ruling by the IOPC that will shock police officers across London and indeed the country “Police officers should not have their livelihoods or liberty put at risk for performing what unequivocally This is not right or fair or just.We will be vigorously defending the actions of Sgt Blake at any conduct proceedings.” The Metropolitan Police has been scolded for "tyrannical nonsense" after confirming that the officer who shot Chris Kaba in 2022 will now face a gross misconduct hearing - despite being cleared of murder Following the officer's trial in October last year the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has determined there is sufficient evidence for a disciplinary panel to consider the case FULL STORY HERE. Sergeant Martyn Blake, the police officer who shot Chris Kaba in September 2022, was found not guilty of murder two years later The court heard how Kaba was a member of London’s “67” gang He was allegedly involved in a nightclub shooting only days before his death with forensic examination of his clothing revealing traces of firearms residue After refusing to stop his Audi Q8 for police video evidence showed Kaba dangerously driving the car in an attempt to escape Blake testified that he believed Kaba’s actions put lives at immediate risk he shot the suspect once with his Sig MCX carbine which may result in his being dismissed and added to the register of people barred from policing This process is being instigated by the IOPC, which has a reputation among police officers — especially firearms specialists — for partisanship Blake’s not guilty verdict would usually signal massive investigative failure but many officers believe the case is a combination of all three Since police discipline regulations were changed the IOPC has been allowed to order officers found not guilty of criminal charges to be subsequently investigated for misconduct whereby the IOPC gets two bites of the cherry the Met cannot realistically police London British police forces had to prepare for riots in anticipation of the not guilty verdict and were forced to consider military support in the event of armed officers an unsettling question lingers: will he be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Please click here to view our media pack for more information on advertising and partnership opportunities with UnHerd Nov 20, 2024Condé Nast Names Cheryl Kaba Chief Diversity and Inclusion OfficerCondé Nast announces the appointment of Cheryl Kaba as its new chief diversity and inclusion officer She will officially assume the role early next year Kaba most recently served as the executive director of talent and diversity at Morgan Stanley where she partnered with executives to develop and retain a high-performance representing more than 10,000 employees worldwide she worked at American Express for eleven years in many leadership roles including chief of staff to the chief financial officer of global consumer services and most recently as the director of global inclusion and diversity She began her career as a senior investor relations associate at Thompson Reuters she will be responsible for the company’s diversity strategy across its global portfolio of over 20 brands in 12 countries She will lend expertise to ensure the recruitment development and sponsorship of a new generation of diverse talent She will also work with brand teams to reflect our commitments throughout the company’s content and also with the company’s executive leadership team to drive initiatives training and programs that further this vision.  “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Cheryl as our new global chief diversity and inclusion officer Her impressive background across business functions and major industries brings a wealth of expertise and a deep commitment to fostering inclusive work environments With a proven track record of results as a  business and talent leader she will undoubtedly strengthen our ongoing commitments among our teams around the world.” “Condé Nast’s unwavering commitment to elevating the diverse voices of its global audience is why I am thrilled to join the organization instrumental in influencing global cultures through its iconic brands is an exciting next chapter of my career.” Kaba received her bachelor’s degree from Duke University and earned a master’s in business administration from Columbia Business School.  Condé Nast New York 1 World Trade Center New York Here we go again. For those who drew up the convoluted regulations around police misconduct the decision to proceed with a disciplinary hearing against the policeman who shot dead the notorious gangster Chris Kaba makes perfect sense where footage of the incident was played back in slow motion police sergeant Martyn Blake killed Chris Kaba with a single shot to the head through the windscreen of the Audi Kaba had been driving in south London The 24-year-old had refused orders to stop the car which was linked to a serious firearms incident the previous night and had tried to ram it free from the police vehicles blocking it The officer said he’d fired in self-defence to ‘incapacitate’ the driver (at the time he didn’t know it was Kaba) in order to protect his colleagues who he feared might be run over. He Already a subscriber? Log in justice and policing commentator and former adviser to Yvette Cooper Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3 Already a subscriber? Log in « Back Today it was announced the armed Met Police officer who shot and killed gangland trigger man Chris Kaba is facing a misconduct trial The Independent Office for Police Conduct said they'd acknowledged the strong interest from the black community Chris Kaba shot a man in a London nightclub Patrick Christys asked: 'Who would serve this country now?' He drove his car AT armed police officers before he was shot putting him and his family potentially at risk He was put on trial for murder - a jury cleared him after just three hours of deliberation Hundreds of armed police officers handed in their guns in protest at one of their colleagues facing a life sentence for doing his job Now that same man faces a gross misconduct hearing Labour is set to allow veterans to face historic prosecutions again This means veterans who served in Northern Ireland could be hauled before a court on a murder charge while members of the IRA who let of bombs killing dozens of people may walk free forever Veteran Dennis Hutchings died in a Belfast hospital at the age of 80 after being tried again for attempted murder and grievous bodily harm for an alleged incident in 1974 He had previously been cleared twice but was dragged to court again Prison officers were attacked by rampant Islamist terrorist Hashem Abedi - the man who helped build the Manchester Arena bomb Now prison officers are saying they need stab vests the ever-increasing Islamist population in prison In light of what we've seen recently - if one of those prison officers had accidentally broken the Manchester Arena terrorists' wrist whilst trying to wrestle him off one o their colleagues...would they find themselves facing an assault charge prison officers - they are on the frontline They put their lives on the line to protect Britain Is it any wonder some people feel as though Britain is not worth fighting for today Critical Conversations: bridging pathways forward to greater understanding and creative solutions Alumna Mariame Kaba created the Audre Lorde Justice Endowed Scholarship to support librarians and archivists committed to social justice and inclusivity Two Pratt graduate students in the School of Information have received the Audre Lorde Justice Endowed Scholarship established by activist and alum Mariame Kaba The scholarship supports emerging librarians and archivists who are working to democratize archives and preserve the histories of marginalized communities Kaba created the scholarship after receiving a Freedom Scholar award from the Marguerite Casey Foundation in 2022 which recognized her influential work writing and organizing around prison abolition She has directed over $50,000 of this award toward the scholarship and Delali A MSLIS ’27 and MA History of Art and Design ’27 have been chosen as the initial recipients “What this means to me in Library Science is that we actively democratize archives by improving accessibility for all especially focusing on marginalized communities,” said Kaba “I hope this scholarship will help to seed and support future librarians and archivists who are committed to social justice and change I invite other Pratt alumni to contribute to this fund over the next few years I invite everyone affiliated with the School of Information to remember that justice making must be a core value of libraries I invite Pratt Institute to make good on Audre Lorde’s commitment to diversity and to justice.” Kaba noted that archives have often been sites of oppression erasing the stories of marginalized communities She added that archivists have the power to challenge established histories and shape new narratives rooted in social justice.  The scholarship was named after Audre Lorde the writer and social justice activist who championed marginalized communities and imagined utopian futures using her role as librarian and archivist to promote inclusivity in how histories were recorded and remembered “I can’t even begin to describe how much it means to receive this scholarship adding that she “was motivated to go back to graduate school and gain the tools I need to become a stronger advocate.” The Audre Lorde Justice Endowed Scholarship is available to current or incoming students in Pratt’s School of Information archives program who demonstrate a commitment to social justice and is renewable for recipients in good academic standing College & Schools and Academic Programs The University of San Diego (USD) announced today that longtime supporters Dan and Phyllis Epstein Read more read more  the University of San Diego proudly joined the 40th Annual Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair & Parade Read more read more  The University of San Diego officially opened the Palomar Health Student Wellness Center with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony on Tu… Read more read more  The University of San Diego (USD) mourns the loss of Pope Francis Read more read more  Jonathan “Jonny” Kim ’12 (BA) this morning became the first Korean-American astronaut to journey into space Read more read more  USD News Minute: What you need to know this week at USD were awarded the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship that supports exceptiona… In this episode of "At the Edge of It All," we dive into the world of integrated engineering with Gordon Hoople San Diego men's golf has received an at-large selection to the 2025 NCAA Tournament and is headed to the postseason for the fifth consecutive year The USD College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) hired 14 new faculty members in three distinctive themes – Borders and Social Justice The University of San Diego celebrated the official opening of the Palomar Health Student Wellness Center with a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremon… The University of San Diego (USD) and JMI Sports are proud to announce a new multimedia rights partnership 7 San Diego Men's Tennis hoisted it's eighth WCC Tournament Title in the last nine seasons USD News Minute: What you need to know this week at USD… The University of San Diego officially opened the Palomar Health Student Wellness Center with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony on Tuesday In this episode of "The Athletics Edge," a special series of "At the Edge of It All," we talk with Kimya Massey The USD College of Arts and Sciences (the college) hired 14 new faculty members in three distinctive themes – Borders and Social Justice Seventh-ranked San Diego Men's Tennis locked up the outright WCC Regular Season Championship title with a 4-2 win on the road over their rivals If you see Sumayya Sirajudeen walking across the University of San Diego (USD) campus it’s likely you’ll catch her talking and engaging w… It starts with an idea — one that is fostered through mentorship This philosophy is at the heart of the… 2025) - The San Diego County Bar Association has selected University of San Diego (USD) School of Law Professors David Brennan &l… In this episode of "At the Edge of It All," we sit down with Jena Hales associate professor and program director of Neuroscience University of San Diego Athletics has officially launched SanDiegoNIL.com a comprehensive digital hub dedicated to Name For alumni Elise Vaughan Winfrey ’08 and Nick Winfrey ’08 a liberal arts education helped them build a firm foundation for their careers.… An array of undergraduates spanning programs and schools gathered on the steps of the Learning Commons Town Square on April 8 and 10 The University of San Diego’s Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science has been recognized among the nation’s best in the newly released … The scent of the California air was Tatum Tande’s first clue that she was in the right place During her initial campus visit to the University … In this episode of "The Athletics Edge," a special series of "At the Edge of It All," we talk with Kimya Massey These are common words we hear in the push for more sustainable energy solutions in our communities Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application she was the beloved daughter of Mamoudou Kaba and Katie Xayachack of Cranston Besides her parents she is survived by her loving brothers and half brother Omar Kaba; grandparents Kimberly Wutch and her husband Michael Khamsiene Xayachack and his wife Phongsy; Aunts and Uncles Sunny Xayachack and her husband Alex Saing in the NARDOLILLO FUNERAL HOME & Crematory followed by a Service in the Islamic Center of R.I. Honoring Sophia Rose: Help Us Remember Her (Gofundme link) Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text Islamic Center of RI (ICRI) - Masjid Al-Kareem This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors WATCH: Former police detective erupts over fresh misconduct probe for officer who shot Peter Bleksley Former Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley has made his feelings clear after a firearms officer cleared of murdering Chris Kaba was hit with a fresh probe. Sgt Martin Blake, 41, an officer in the specialist firearms unit MO19, shot Kaba in the head after he tried to ram his way out of a police vehicle area in Streatham on 5 September 2022. His murder trial heard that police officers were aware the vehicle had been used as a getaway car in another shooting in south London the day before. It later emerged 24-year-old Kaba was a core member of one of London’s most dangerous street gangs and was accused of being involved in two shootings in the days leading up to his death. Former Metropolitan Police detective Peter Bleksley hit out at the decision to launch misconduct proceedings against the officer who shot Kaba Speaking on GB News, Bleksley said the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) have cowered to the “mob”. “The IOPC is a largely discredited organisation which isn’t independent. It has bowed to a baying mob and acted vindictively and perniciously”, he said. “This gross misconduct hearing is utterly appalling.” GB News’s Nana Akua said the officer being cleared should have drawn a line under the case and also questioned why the judge named him in court proceedings. “NX121’s actions that night when he pulled the trigger and fired that shot and everything leading up to that has been examined by a jury in the minutest of detail”, he said. “The IOPC and CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) in their desperation to try and nail a firearms officer for a crime they hadn’t committed was shown to be abysmal. Chris Kaba's family delivered a hand-written note to Keir Starmer in 2024 reminding the prime minister of 'everybody's right to life' “The jury, not only did they deliver their verdicts swiftly and conclusively, they wrote a letter to the judge. In that letter, the jury lambasted the CPS and IOPC for ever putting this officer on trial. “And now he, his family and everyone who loves him will have to go through the ordeal of a gross misconduct hearing. Bleksley’s fury was matched by dozens of Metropolitan Police armed officers who downed tools in protest in response to Sgt Blake being charged. Peter Bleksley said the IOPC are a 'discredited' organisation During the trial, one of his fellow officers said he would have taken a shot had Blake not. Another told the Old Bailey he was “fractions of a second” away from doing the same. IOPC director Amanda Rowe said in a statement: "We understand the impact this decision will have on Chris Kaba's family and Sgt Blake and acknowledge the significant public interest in this case, particularly among our black communities, firearms officers and the wider policing community. "This is a decision we have taken based on examining all the evidence, views of all parties and by applying the thresholds set out in legislation and guidance which govern our work. "The legal test for deciding whether there is a case to answer is low – is there sufficient evidence upon which, on the balance of probabilities, a disciplinary panel could make a finding of misconduct? "This has been met and therefore we need to follow the legal process." Chris Kaba’s family said they welcomed the hearing and they hoped it would lead to Sgt Blake’s removal from the Met. "We are still so devastated to have lost Chris - this should never have happened," the family said. A police group has reacted with fury at the “nonsensical” decision that the police marksman who shot Chris Kaba should face a disciplinary hearing and could be sacked Metropolitan Police officer Martyn Blake, 41, shot the 24-year-old in Streatham, south-east London in September 2022 after Mr Kaba tried to ram his way past police cars that had hemmed him in He was cleared of murder over the shooting in October but on Wednesday watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said he will still have to face gross misconduct proceedings IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “This is a decision we have taken based on examining all the evidence views of all parties and by applying the thresholds set out in legislation and guidance which govern our work “The legal test for deciding whether there is a case to answer is low – is there sufficient evidence upon which This has been met and therefore we need to follow the legal process “We appreciate that the Home Office is carrying out a review of the legal test for the use of force in misconduct cases we must apply the law as it currently stands.” Metropolitan Police bosses had argued that the evidence against Mr Blake had been “tested significantly” during the trial and that the IOPC should reconsider whether he should face a disciplinary hearing general secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation that represents rank and file officers in the force said: “This is frankly a nonsensical ruling by the IOPC that will shock police officers across London and indeed the country “Police officers should not have their livelihoods or liberty put at risk for performing what unequivocally, as has been found in a court of law, is their lawful and appropriate function. “And yet putting this brave officer on trial for murder – as astonishing as that was – was not enough for the IOPC. Being cleared unanimously by a jury who heard all the evidence was not enough for the IOPC. They have now decided to put him and his family through more torment. “This is not accountability. This is not in the public interest. This is not right or fair or just. “We will be vigorously defending the actions of Sgt Blake at any conduct proceedings.” If the hearing finds he committed gross misconduct he could face the sack. On the night Mr Kaba died, police began following the Audi Q8 that he was driving because it had been used as a getaway car in a shooting in Brixton, south London, the night before. They did not know who was driving the car at the time, although it later emerged Mr Kaba was a core member of one of London’s most dangerous street gangs and was accused of being involved in two shootings in the week before he died. Dozens of Metropolitan Police armed officers downed tools in outrage when Mr Blake was charged with murder and the army was put on standby to plug the gap. On Wednesday, Met Police Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, using the cypher NX121 that was given to Mr Blake before a judge ruled he could be publicly named, said: “NX121 made a split-second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and London and a jury unanimously decided that was an honestly held belief and the force used was reasonable. “However, the IOPC has now determined that NX121 has a case to answer for his use of force and has directed us to hold a gross misconduct hearing. “We know another lengthy process will fall heavily on the shoulders of NX121 and more widely our firearms officers, who continue to bravely and tirelessly police the streets of London every day to protect the public.” A chief officer from an outside force will be asked to chair the disciplinary hearing, which will be held in due course, the force said. In a statement issued through the charity Inquest, Mr Kaba’s family welcomed the IOPC’s decision. “We hope this leads to him being removed from the Met Police,” they said. “What Martyn Blake did was deeply wrong. We are still so devastated to have lost Chris – this should never have happened. “The fact that the Met promoted Martyn Blake after the verdict only deepened our pain and showed a complete disregard for our loss. “Martyn Blake should not be allowed to remain a police officer. He should lose his job.” Deborah Coles, director of Inquest, called it “reprehensible” that the Met had to be directed to hold a disciplinary hearing. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said he was “deeply disappointed” by the watchdog’s decision. Writing on X, he said: “We need to support police officers who do difficult things to protect the public, provided they act in accordance with the law, as a jury found this officer did. “This has hung over Sergeant Blake for too long. I think the IOPC has got this wrong.” Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also said the IOPC was “wrong”, suggesting Mr Blake should have received a “commendation” and urging the Government to “get a grip of this issue urgently”. A Home Office spokesperson said: “The IOPC is independent and we do not routinely comment on individual case decisions. “Cases in the police misconduct system often take too long and the Government is taking action to speed these up, providing clarity to officers and giving the public confidence in those who protect them.” and interdependence is key to survival for human beings,” says organizer Mariame Kaba and interdependence is key to survival for human beings,” says Mariame organizer Kaba In this episode of “Movement Memos,” Kaba talks with host Kelly Hayes about what their book Let This Radicalize You brings to this moment Hayes and Kaba also discuss the fight for reproductive justice Note: This a rush transcript and has been lightly edited for clarity Kelly Hayes: Welcome to “Movement Memos,” a Truthout podcast about organizing my friend Mariame Kaba and I published a book about organizing called Let This Radicalize You Mariame and I set out to create a resource that we wish had existed back when we began our own journeys with activism and organizing we have been honored to hear that the book has been of great use but also to people who have been doing this work for many years Let This Radicalize You has received renewed attention since the reelection of Donald Trump in November of last year as new waves of activists have struggled to find their footing in an era of rising autocracy I will be chatting with Mariame about what Let This Radicalize You brings to this moment We will also discuss some of the issues we are deeply concerned about right now from reproductive justice to criminalization and what it means to build collective courage I hope you will find our conversation as heartening as I did and you would like to support “Movement Memos,” you can subscribe to Truthout’s newsletter or make a donation at truthout.org You can also support the show by subscribing to “Movement Memos” on Apple or Spotify or by leaving a positive review on those platforms Sharing episodes on social media is also a huge help Truthout is an independent news organization publishing stories that the cowering corporate media won’t touch in these times We are a union shop with the best family and sick leave policies in the industry and we could not do this work without the support of readers and listeners like you So thanks for believing in us and for all that you do KH: It’s great to be in conversation with you I think today I’m doing okay and I’ll say that when I am answering that question I think I am kind of at a low boil of rage right now there’s a lot to be furious about and has been a lot to be furious about for years All the things that we’re dealing with right now I think I’ve been on a kind of low boil sense of feeling And I am also trying to stay grounded and to focus There’s just so much happening all at once and I think I’m trying to find a way to live my life in the midst of that So I think that’s the long short answer how I am KH: I’m pretty grounded all things considered and I’ve been dealing with a lot of chronic pain lately but today feels more manageable than a lot of the days I’ve had to navigate lately KH: A lot of people are living in a constant state of alarm right now Can you talk about how your experience as an organizer informs your perspective in this moment I think it’s completely understandable that people are feeling panicked and scared right now but uncertainty really does breed a lot of fear and we’re currently dealing with a daily assault of a fire hose of bullshit which is intended to actually harm people who are already vulnerable and marginalized I would understand anybody feeling that kind of sense of alarm and panic right now I don’t think that my organizing experience per se kind of gives me any special purchase on how to survive under full autocracy or fascism I don’t think that I have that… I’ve been kind of surviving under mid-authoritarianism and neoliberalism But I do think that my organizing experience is helpful in reminding me that I need to figure out what’s actually within my control right now and what I can influence in a constructive way I think it’s also helpful in orienting me to kind of seek out others and to talk with those folks and strategize I think thankfully I’m never prone to panicking and crises and I think that has generally served me well in life and is really helpful right now I’ve been thinking a lot for right now and what’s been helpful is my first instinct as an organizer is always to think about who is most vulnerable and how to support those people first And I think that that really applies right now I’m also always concerned with the question of what kinds of concrete actions people might take because I think that having agency in your life is really important and it’s really an antidote to the sense of learned helplessness which I really see across so many areas in the country right now And I think the last thing I would say about what my experience organizing how it shows up and gives me perspective or gives me not perspective maybe on this particular thing that’s happening at this particular moment but over the years I’ve invested a lot in building community and in collaborating with others and to me that’s always been kind of the most essential aspect of organizing to try to make sense of the current moment collectively It’s not lip service to me that we as human beings are interdependent and also that relationships are the foundation of life I think we talked a couple of days after the election and I was saying that at the time that confirming our solidarity networks is always critical but it was going to be especially critical in these coming weeks And I think that of course has panned out as well not so much the skills I have learned in organizing so much as the perspective that I’ve been able to develop and the actual things I’ve done in terms of building community with other people All of that kind of stuff I think has really helped to ground me in this moment how would you answer the question for yourself I really relate to what you were saying about reaching out to strategize and commiserate with others because I think that was the first thing that was helpful to me I was in conversation with so many people whose wisdom and ideas I really value and I think that made those early days a lot more constructive for me I am still in steady communication with people I want to solve problems with and think alongside I also think my experience planning and coordinating direct actions has been useful even though that hasn’t been my role lately because when you step into a tense situation in the streets and I definitely have my spiraling moments so having rehearsed practices around assessing conditions deciding how to move and inviting people to move with me — I think that helps me keep my head together sometimes I think the most important thing for my mental health and well-being right now is the awareness I have of just how many people are out here trying to make things better I am in community with so many people who are doing so much good work to reduce suffering and create as much safety and justice as they can and that really helps me get out of bed every day I think it would be so easy to get overwhelmed by the deluge of terrible news and the catastrophes were the only things happening But people are always fighting the good fight and they are definitely fighting right now and that gets invisibilized a lot in the mainstream in ways that make people feel isolated and hopeless that sense of connection to so many people who are engaged in principled struggle that’s something I really want for folks in this moment because I believe that’s going to be a big part of what sustains us emotionally and spiritually in these times MK: I really agree so much with all of what you just said in particular about feeling… I think there’s always some backlash to everything all the time in the world especially if you’re on social media because listening to 10,000 people’s conversations happening all at the same time but 10,000 people’s monologues and journal entries happening at the same time just kind of doing our thing and posting through it And I think that sometimes that can make you feel like The posting is the thing to do as we are experiencing all of these things But I think when you’re plugged into a community of folks it’s kind of easier to be able to have people check you on that and sometimes it’s like give you a kick in the ass but sometimes it’s also just giving you kind of a loving redirection and being like And have you considered that a lot of things are happening at the same time?” All the bad news is there and there’s other news How can we kind of work through this together And there’s an extension of a hand to help you in that moment We can’t really extend hands so much on social media particularly how it’s evolved to the point that it’s at now and I think that’s probably to the detriment of everybody KH: I really appreciate what you’re saying about the kind of feedback and connection we aren’t getting from social media Trying to spend a bit less time on social media has definitely been helpful to me I will say that leaving X last year and spending very little time on Meta’s apps has been great for my mental health and good for my soul and I do want to hear from the people I follow about what’s going on And I want to share my thoughts and my work with people but I am also trying to be intentional about how I spend my time and my energy I don’t want to spend my time getting angry with people who are shadowboxing their way through this moment People who are constantly creating a strawman or reliving arguments they’ve been having in their heads for months or just projecting whatever they’re angry about onto you I don’t want to spend my time reacting to that stuff maybe they are out here dancing and dodging because they don’t know what else to do with themselves right now — but I do so I have to be accountable to that awareness I don’t want to get pulled into unworthy conflicts and wind up spiraling when I could be learning or building something all of those things can potentially happen — as you’ve seen but if it’s becoming our psychological home then we really need to create other spaces for our minds to wander and other routines that can hold our attention But I try not to think about it in terms of staying off of social media It’s about focusing on the books I want to read the conversations I want to have and the stuff I want to make for those of us who have a tendency to reach for our phones When I can no longer stare at the things I have to read directing ourselves toward things that are helpful or constructive is key right now One thing that’s been helpful to me lately has been joining a lot of discussion groups where book clubs and organizations are discussing our book Let This Radicalize You The book has received some renewed attention since Trump was reelected What do you think Let This Radicalize You brings to the moment we’re currently experiencing MK: I’m interested to hear more from you hopefully right after this around whatever response I give about what you’ve been hearing from folks who’ve been engaging with the book I think the trajectory of the book has been so interesting to me And when you and I talked I don’t know how many years ago about writing what turned out to be this book MK: We even started on a draft of the zine And really our heart and our intention was we’re going to make this zine and we think it could be of use to younger and new organizers and activists we wanted to really share lessons learned from our years of activism and organizing I think we decided then that it needed to be a symphony instead of a duet And so we talked to all these other amazing organizers and we talked about mutual aid and political education and burnout care and hope and Palestine and so many other things And I think about what we wrote about years ago are of course issues that persist and then the book is published in May of 2023 but it’s of course as relevant in February when we’re talking right now at the end of February 2025 All of the topics that we talk about are perennially important but they feel even more important right now for people and maybe as a way to be able to think one’s way through and feel one’s way through what’s currently happening So I’m so glad that more people have found the book and they made the book available for free during a couple of week period after the election and I think it was downloaded over nearly 60,000 times It’s amazing that many people turned to the book and thought well maybe this is something that can support me in some way And you also know that the main reason to write in my opinion as somebody who is doing work all the time is that it’s a documentation of sorts I often don’t know what I think until I see it written down but it has a lot also because for years I’ve told other younger organizers to document their work You got to show up when you give people advice to do something But it’s been amazing how resonant people have found it who are not new organizers who are people who’ve been doing this work for a long time and they’re like I find things in here that are of use to me That I don’t think I expected at all but it’s been so lovely to see how that’s been useful for people and they found it a resource And I think all the other stuff we made around the book the workbook and the discussion guide questions and everything else is being put to use helping people to make community with other people through reading groups helping people to be able to see themselves reflected or see other people’s words reflected that give them things to think about in this moment You’ve been doing a lot of conversations as you mentioned before with small groups of people about the book for a couple years now What have you been hearing about how people are engaging with the book at the moment KH: One of the themes that is coming up a lot and I think that was one of the most important chapters in the book I learned so much from the people we interviewed for that chapter and I think Morning Star’s perspective — about how we don’t just need rest but also rejuvenation — that was a revelation for me and I think a lot of people have had breakthroughs around that idea Because we cannot endure all of the blows of oppression This is why I started asking people I work and build with I think this is a moment when it’s so important to think about what sustains us and what makes it possible for us to stay curious And it’s really encouraging to see people talk about evolving their own practices and really grappling with the fact that they had been sort of spiritually starving themselves without even realizing it We can’t heal a wound we don’t realize is there and we can’t meet a need we don’t know how to name I also see a lot of conversations about active hope I think people appreciate the way the book makes room for respecting our feelings and our dignity while also figuring out how to navigate conflicts that arise in this work Because this society and the political spaces people inhabit online do not condition us to work across difference Those skills don’t magically appear out of nowhere it’s completely normal that my impulse is to tell someone to fuck off just like it’s a normal impulse to drop something that’s heavy how do I condition myself to move through discomfort because it’s not worth trying to carry this We obviously need to be able to work with people we think differently than we do and whose opinions are going to frustrate or disappoint us think we are bananas for wanting to get rid of police and prisons but maybe really agree with us about abortion access We know how to move with the people who think we are bananas but are willing to put their trust in us as co-strugglers some of those people who thought we were bananas have become prison abolitionists and that happened through the work of shared struggle and sharing ideas from a place of mutual respect I think it really helps to be a minority of a minority on so many fronts I’m wondering what your thoughts are about the current online conversations about fuck-around-and-find-out politics Where are you kind of situated on the spectrum of that as it relates to working across difference KH: You know, I am in deep agreement with Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, who’s said that “at some point you should decide whether you will accept the discipline imposed by your material objectives and commitments or the ‘discipline’ imposed by your resentments.” As Fẹ́mi says “The ruling classes would like nothing more than to choose for you [and] you’ll never believe which they’d prefer!” That means I want us to have more power than our enemies and I want to take away the power they have That means there have to be other places for those people to go because I am primarily concerned with creating as much safety as possible for the people in my communities who are being harmed But that objective is also more important to me than any resentments that I have And I want to stress that I understand why people are angry Someone called me “evil” last year for saying things would be worse under Trump But those feelings matter less to me than my material objectives And they really mean nothing in comparison to what we’re up against and what the moment demands of us I also really agree with what you’ve said publicly about how we need to decenter the Trump voters in our conversations and not obsess so much about whether or how to welcome people whose electoral choices have harmed us there are going to be standards about how people treat each other that anyone present is going to have to respect But I don’t screen people walking through the door to find out if they’ve ever been an asshole in their beliefs or political opinions these people did not care about my struggle or my suffering when they made their choice but that’s also how most of the world sees nearly everyone in the U.S especially people who were born in this country are moving in ignorance or with a functional indifference toward a whole lot of people’s oppression Some of it was specifically outsourced to other countries so that it wouldn’t exist here in the form of labor practices or environmental violence People are typing about how irredeemable folks are for not being attuned to their suffering while using mobile phones that were made by who we could pass judgment on that in absolute terms or we could acknowledge that we’re all extremely flawed human beings that we are all more attuned to the oppressions we experience and witness firsthand and that many of us are susceptible to cults and demagoguery That’s not an easy thing to own about ourselves or humanity We’re all moving through algorithmic bubbles and as though everyone is getting the same story about what’s happening and what it all means and why I have group chats with my friends but are we people who want to change things That is always the most fundamental question I saw something recently on Bluesky where someone said “So everyone’s supposed to talk like they’re an activist or an organizer concerned with coalition building That’s just not realistic.” And I’m thinking I’m not focused on what’s realistic for every random asshole on the internet I assume that I’m addressing people who actually want to make things better and I am talking about what it takes to do that.” If people don’t actually care about winning or making things better and they just want to emote and feel righteous then I’m the wrong person to be listening to anyway If you actually want to change the course of things I think that it’s fair to say you should be strategic and that you should put your objectives ahead of your resentments We all need space to do what we have to do for ourselves emotionally and we don’t have to post through every emotion that we’re having have to post through every emotion they’re having I think this is part of a much larger thing “There’s a loneliness epidemic,” and then a bunch of people are like “That’s actually not true!” It’s the same thing that happens about every issue There’s a loneliness epidemic for a large group of people and there’s not a loneliness epidemic for another group of people This is always the case and the way… what I think is indisputable is that people are much more isolated from each other We’re just more isolated from each other and that has to do with a lot that has nothing to do with your personal ability to make friends extracting time and labor from everybody and you just not having it by the time you’re wrenched out at the end of working a million hours to also then have to think about how you’re going to extend your community beyond your immediate circle of people if you can even have energy for your immediate circle of people It’s about the ways that COVID has made it very unsafe for some people to be able to be in direct one-on-one relation with people who don’t take the same precautions that they do It’s about a slow erosion over time of no public spaces to meet where you don’t have to spend money and also a sense of just despondency that they’re alone And that feeling of “I’m alone” is bad for a lot of reasons and interdependence is key to survival for human beings You’re just not going to get away from that That’s what it means to be a human being So that is very frustrating for a lot of people because they feel like they don’t have anybody to actually rely on doesn’t still mean that they’re not interdependent to other people And that’s the frustration and the rub over there can lead you to feel just so resentful and angry But there’s also that part of we’re out of practice of having to deal with people’s bullshit in intimate ways You have to pay attention to me because I’m doing this very dysregulated thing in this moment online.” I think that all that stuff it’s really making me think about the relationship of that to this fuck around and find out this kind of pleasure we get out of seeing other people suffering when we feel that we’ve been made to suffer “I’m getting back at you.” particularly an abolitionist that’s rooted in transformative justice I always need to point that out because not all abolitionists are and don’t have to be I see this happening across so many different pieces of my life where folks who are just deeply isolated have to find a way to take that out on other people And when they see other people who they see as responsible in some way for that displacing the systems and the structure onto the individuals it is really impacting what we can do together but it’s something I’m thinking about consistently and all the time right now because I think it’s going to have a long-lasting impact on what we can do together as we move through these really difficult times Are we fighting to build a society that abhors cruelty and needless suffering or are we simply going to be angling to redistribute the suffering to even the score Because the ruling class will be happy to ensure that poor people whose opinions and politics offend us suffer the way we’ve learned to chase it through the criminal injustice system has never given us a just world or delivered us from evil.I’m also thinking about conversations I’ve had with Ejeris Dixon Shane Burley and Dean Spade recently about how so many of us lack the skills to just be human together with all the mess that being human entails We have been socially deskilled under capitalism and the pandemic has amplified the problem for a lot of us in terms of our social skills and practices some of us are less adept socially than we used to be or more avoidant of other people in general some people are losing the connectedness they need because they can’t find spaces where they can safely be with others There are so many isolating factors at work and so many ways we have lost touch with each other this feeds into the kind of pleasure-seeking in other people’s pain that you’re talking about and it can feel satisfying to see people who’ve pissed us off have a bad time.There’s also a kind of celebration of pettiness on social media — often by people who have zero tolerance of anyone being petty toward them — that I think feeds into this but we weren’t meant to live on social media while actual organizing is about collaboration It’s about so many skills and practices that can’t be honed in the algorithmic bubble One of the things that I’ve been saying a lot for the last few years has been this concept that I use called “concierge-ification” of everything but concierge-ification of activism and organizing which is like DoorDash-ing activism and organizing the constant sense that folks can delegate out to other people things that they want delivered to them with very little investment on their part beyond… In the case of DoorDash then all of a sudden you act like a consumer And we’re in this place where folks think they can DoorDash everything A lot of what the work is in organizing is completely… there’s a mutual exchange It is a sense where putting stuff in and you don’t know that you’re going to get anything from it Certainly not in the immediate nature of things It’s you stay and fight instead of just like I’m calling your manager.” That kind of is detrimental right now for the work that needs to get done if it has to do with organizing and activism work but it has to be addressed more forthrightly because I think there’s a very real line between asking to be held in our humanity and have our needs considered and acting like frustrated consumers when people and events aren’t exactly as we would like them to be but also be furious if that can’t actually happen because we don’t have the resources to actually do the things We live in capitalism and all of the contradictions of it I don’t know… Was it Robin [D.G Kelley] who said solidarity is not a market exchange I think that there’s a sense here where it’s like everything is actually a market exchange and we’re not going to get free that way We’re not going to get liberated that way And I don’t know how to explain to people that is just… it’s a recipe for continued and maybe worsened conditions for all of us over time should we stay in this mode But I would love more conversations that are honest about that But since we can’t even talk about money in the movement I don’t have a lot of immediate sense that we’re going to get there anytime soon wrote a post about being willing to host people who need to travel to get an abortion I am part of a network of people who say they will host people — without any thought for what it means to safely create that kind of infrastructure or about the infrastructure that already exists It’s more of a declaration of identity without any consideration of what it means to actually create safety and just conditions for people in a tough situation or to meaningfully build power and infrastructure with other people It’s just me saying a thing that I will probably never do And if that sounds familiar to folks listening that’s because I am not just describing the Auntie Network people I am describing a lot people of who envision and demand all politics be done and dealt on their terms — and let me tell you that’s one way you can tell that someone doesn’t fucking organize anything And while we are on the subject of reproductive justice because this is something you and I have discussed a lot in terms of what it’s going to mean to show up on this front of struggle during Trump’s second term How are you approaching that fight right now and what advice are you offering people who want to take action around this issue what you just talked about before about the Auntie Network or the Underground Railroad conversation that happened after Dobbs I want to say more about that in a minute because I have so many feelings and also thoughts on that whole sorry situation that occurred on many levels you and I have been talking about reproductive justice for a long time I’m supremely worried about the further criminalization of abortion We know already that they’re planning potentially to invoke Comstock which they don’t need the Congress war which would make mailing “obscene” items or obscene materials through the mail illegal Obscene is in the eye of the person saying it’s obscene potentially making [mifepristone] a controlled substance at the national level There are lots of things to consider there and lots of different caveats All the stuff they’re doing about trying to push forward at the state level around fetal personhood We were on this panel together a couple of weeks ago and we were talking with people who are currently organizing around reproductive justice And folks on the ground are already doing a lot so I’m really worried about organizing capacity there’s a total lack of leadership within big repro the large nonprofit abortion focused or reproductive health focused groups But they do consistently suck up like a bulk of the resources and that’s to the detriment of local organizations that actually help people access care That’s the reality we’re in now It’s going to be even more acute should these other things be enacted and those big repro groups are just not in a position to lead millions of people And that’s what is needed because a lot of people care about abortion and a lot of people care about reproductive justice more broadly And I think because I’ve been adjacent to this work since I was a very young person is central to any notion of freedom or liberation What we want is freedom for everybody to be in the world to move freely within the world without being subjected to forces of oppression And your body is such an integral part and vehicle and vessel for your enactment of that freedom and to have that controlled by the state and these just fascists is so… You feel it in your body Also that I’ve been directing resources to support people getting trained to be abortion doulas for the last few years I organized a doula training here in New York City I think that the way forward has to be to spread information and knowledge about self-managing abortion in every single community context that we can And there are some groups already trying to do this work et cetera to do this work in a way that would disseminate that information and make it easily available to people especially in a time when we’re probably going to be in a position where they’ll start censoring websites and other things like that We know that the tech folks are not our friends They’re not benevolent people out there to be you’ve seen what they’re doing I’ve been trying to figure out and working on a project currently that’s an offline project but it needs resources so that it can be made available to the hundreds of thousands of people across the country who could use it I just had a conversation with some organizers yesterday about another idea that I think would also ensure that people have access to care whether that care is criminalized or not And this brings me to the thing around the wanting to start the Auntie Networks or talking about the Underground Railroad or constantly referencing the Janes I think the Janes are a good thing to know about The people who are still alive from the Janes will tell you they would prefer that we actually just have the right to have abortions and to have bodily autonomy Their work was for a certain period of time and a moment And everything that they did already is being done now in networks that have emerged in the 40 years since their work Every single part of what they were doing is inhabited within a network that’s national and international now in this moment You don’t have to wish for certain things because those things currently exist This is the thing that will now send me on a rant what has been among the most disheartening things that I have experienced in the last five years has been watching that the lefts in the US seemingly be unable to resource abortion funds and practical support organizations That we haven’t been able to do it makes me so worried that we’ll be able to fund and support and resource any kinds of infrastructures that are desperately needed that attend to people’s material conditions and needs I don’t understand why funds have to struggle every month to be able to provide the care and the access to resources that people need in order to be able to get what they need What’s the thing that is making that not happen I just see it’s just an ultimate unmitigated own goal for us on the lefts We are going to need so much more infrastructure to provide for people’s emergency material needs from here on in When you think about the fact that these funds are overwhelmingly run by volunteers who are not getting paid who are raising money not from large foundations but from your auntie down the street who’s sending $10 a month to them This is such an embodiment of everything we talk about when we talk about mutual aid to the extent that my side of the political spectrum is currently worrying me but it’s just I don’t understand I don’t understand why we’re not getting our act together KH: I really appreciate what you’re saying and there’s not enough coherent analysis I became an abortion doula after the fall of Roe and I am very passionate about the idea of making the basics of self-managed abortion common knowledge and I have definitely observed this thing you’re talking about where people tend to have a hyper-focus on as much as I admire the Janes — I mean that work happened here in my city as part of an important lineage of care work outside the law — I also know that this was just one small piece of how people accessed abortions prior to Roe If folks would read Angela Hume’s book, Deep Care they would learn about the decentralized groups in the Bay Area that were providing abortion care through an affinity group model and also keeping directories of doctors who would provide care and also helping people leave the country to get care underground work were people who went on to found the first independent abortion clinics or to organize clinic defense during the “war years” of the 80’s and 90’s These were people who did whatever it took to make sure people could access care in and outside the law — and whatever it takes includes building and sustaining the infrastructure of abortion funds This is all part of the same radical lineage People who helped folks access care outside the law helped create the infrastructure that has allowed people to get abortions legally we obviously have to fortify that infrastructure and defend it at all costs We all have critiques of the systems we have to operate within but we are living and dying within these systems and people are being forced to carry pregnancies to term against their will within these systems the infrastructure we need and have to utilize and strengthen isn’t going to be utopian the workings of the federal government are far from ideal but I am against them being gutted by DOGE.My bottom line is that I can’t take people seriously when they romanticize underground work if they can’t be bothered with efforts that are risk-free most of us can help guarantee that people who don’t want to be pregnant can get abortions We can do that by supporting abortion funds If someone is not willing to be bothered with that I don’t believe they are going to build an underground system that actually provides for people’s needs then I don’t believe they will do it secretly I know there are people out there who are willing to do what it takes under any circumstances to make sure people can exercise their autonomy and I believe those are also dead serious about keeping every legal pathway open to people — and making sure people are resourced when pursuing those options Autonomy by any means should obviously include the safest avenues available to a person if you’re passionate about abortion rights or even using the Chicago Abortion Fund’s toolkit to host a house party to raise money for an abortion fund Maybe that will lead to forming a study group Maybe you can host discussions to educate people about the basics of self-managed abortion Maybe you can read Deep Care or Saving Our Own Lives together and talk about what else the moment might demand of us But let’s start by sustaining the infrastructure we have KH: I want to take a moment to talk about criminalization and how organizing against criminalization and the injustice system has helped prepare abolitionist organizers for the moment we’re presently experiencing I think that anti-criminalization organizers have so much experience fighting authoritarian forces And I mean this between folks on the outside Incarcerated people are already fighting authoritarian forces on a daily We should be listening so much more and engaging so much more with them because they have information Something I’ve been thinking a lot about, years ago I created a primer around the Attica Rebellion for young people and youth came because a friend of mine who was teaching in Chicago was like “I’m trying to teach something about the Attica Rebellion Their books are not written for high school students,” all this other kind of stuff But it was just one in a line of resources I’ve made that have focused on incarcerated people the cultural production and intellectual production that they’ve done I did a whole exhibition a few years ago called Black Inside in Chicago that really relied on that and on political prisoners And I say this because Rachel Herzing, a friend of mine and comrade, wrote a helpful essay not long ago where she suggested that the criminal punishment system is the enforcing arm of fascist forces And I always say that criminalization is the indispensable fuel of fascism And I think people are seeing it now perhaps in a way that they weren’t seeing it before It’s just central to the fascist project And so those people who’ve already been part of the struggle against the PIC have valuable information and lessons that can be shared about successful campaigns just having strength to keep pushing through despite the oppressive forces that come down on you And so I think we should be really looking at how folks on the inside have been fighting I think that when you think about the question of cowardice most of us aren’t brave as human beings Any strategy that relies primarily on people’s bravery is going to fail And that is the point of the organizing on the ground it doesn’t just rely on single people taking brave stances The other angle of it is noncompliance and just saying if you’re not going to do it loudly just refusing to participate in what you’re being told to do Maybe it’s not agreeing to comply in advance before there’s actually anything beyond a slip of paper telling you you have to do a… I don’t think that we can rely on most human beings to just be courageous and that that’s the strategy for how we’re going to get through this moment And this will probably be unpopular with some people but I just look at human history and recognize and see how quickly people tend towards normalcy bias People will cling to the familiar even when the familiar does not serve them anymore even when they’re being deeply harmed from it Because the other side of it is to go into something uncertain and that is just often too much for people And fear is the survival mechanism that we have that tells us how to stay alive people like… How are we going to stay alive in the world You’re not going to take any chances You’re going to rush and hide or you’re going to seek out some form of safety And that’s not going to be the kind of safety that tells you to stand up by yourself and do things We can’t count on that as the main strategy but that’s why they’re extraordinary And most of us are just ordinary people trying to live and do what we can to live well within our capacity we have to figure out how we’re going to make it easier for a lot of people to not comply What actions are going to be possible for us to be taking so that that happens How do we support people when they do take a risky move How are we going to show up for those people in a massive way for real And you know what I’ve seen over the last few years is I’ve seen us not show up for people who take big risks As long as I’ve been doing work in community over 35 going on 40 years now I have seen us let people down over and over and over again I don’t want to speak… I’m going to keep my mouth shut because there’s just a lot that I’ve had to be party to in the last few years behind the scenes and the difficulty in just raising money for people’s legal support I don’t want to say just how… Anyway it’s hard because there’s a lot we need to talk about but obviously we can’t talk about it publicly particularly the way that folks want everyone to be bold and brave and then abandon people who take courageous and bold action I also feel really strongly about this… As you’re saying we have to start from a place of recognizing that most of us are just ordinary people who aren’t going to be courageous unless we cultivate conditions that foster collective courage I am not going to withhold my rent because my landlord is on some bullshit but I have stared down police many times as part of a determined crowd I have seen a lot of people act courageously that usually comes from a place of strength in numbers And I think it’s bigger than the sense that we’re less likely to be hurt we are more of a force to be reckoned with But I also think we become invested in each other through collective action in ways that start to break down the illusion of our separateness our self-centered realities under capitalism can be upended My sense of safety can become bound up in yours My understanding of what it means to defend myself can become bound up in defending you because when our connectedness is enlivened we realize that our well-being is collective but that doesn’t happen by accident under capitalism It comes from that messy shared struggle we have been talking about and it comes from actually showing up for people When we abandon people who take bold action we reinforce that this system was right about everything and that we’re all ultimately on our own we need to create spaces where things don’t work that way is there anything else you would like to share with or ask of the audience but I do want to say that something I want to talk about is the honest to God feeling of just people being overwhelmed right now And also so many people actually want to take action and don’t know where to start and where to begin You just aren’t going to be able to follow all the news You really do have to focus on one or two things and that’s it and that’s always a problem on so many levels but I then had to kind of follow through and I organized a virtual series of workshops for new activists and organizers in December and January and I invited comrades and friends to facilitate these The workshop series was called “How Do I Take Action Where I Am?” And thousands of people participated in these five sessions and it was a final session at the end of January because [what] I had heard from some people who participated in those workshops was that the workshops were super helpful to them but they were still feeling stuck about how to begin I think of some of the people that put some suggestions into a document that I posted on Fedbook where I asked organizer-comrades to look at a document that I had been starting to work on that was just like a workbook for people a very short one that you could just print out from the computer like sheets of paper And if you wanted to make an activism organizing plan here are some things that you might ask yourself and think about It’s available on Interrupting Criminalization’s website And I just suggest to people like work on it yourself and then get a bunch of friends together who are also struggling with how to begin and work on it together and talk it through and maybe be accountability partners with each other to do one or two of the things on the list that you come up with I just think this is a good moment for all of us to do what we can to the best of our capacity from where we are standing We have been getting here and we’ve been in some form of authoritarianism in this country for years And I just think the confluence of the full takeover of the three branches of government make this different for us in many ways But also I think there are a lot of people we can learn from right here in this country who grew up in authoritarian fascist-like communities and countries who we should be talking to more and people around the world who we should be in deep connection with One of the things I’m appreciating about the #TeslaTakedown pickets that are happening beyond the decentralization the ability to actually see your results at some point of what may happen has been also seeing the global pickets that are starting and have been going on How do we connect with each other across borders We could be doing stuff where we’re in solidarity with each other even more than we ever have been because this is a far right takeover worldwide I just think there’s possibility here and I want people to maybe lean into that possibility more and also feel your fear But one way to overcome that fear is to make sure that you’re with other people that you’re fighting alongside other people and that you’re not alone I want to thank you so much for joining me today and I have recommended it to so many people I hope everyone listening will check it out because a lot of people need help finding their path right now It makes sense that a lot of people are frozen right now, and aren’t sure how to begin. We need to figure out ways to extend our hands and help people along. I think the Making a Plan zine is a great resource toward that end like so many resources Mariame has made over the years and you can find that zine along with some other great resources in the show notes of this episode I am so grateful for you and for the conversations we have Thank you for asking me to be part of the conversation And our conversations obviously will always be continuing I also want to thank our listeners for joining us today our best defense against cynicism is to do good and to remember that the good we do matters we are witnessing a terrifying array of anti-democratic tactics to silence political opposition increase surveillance and expand authoritarian reach Truthout is appealing for your support as Trump and his sycophants crack down on political speech Nonprofits like Truthout could be caught in Trump’s crosshairs as he attacks dissenting groups with bad faith lawsuits and targeted harassment of journalists these attacks come at a time when independent journalism is most needed The right-wing corporate takeover of media has left reliable outlets few and far between with even fewer providing their work at no cost to the reader Who will be there to hold the fascists to account We ask for your support as we doggedly pursue justice through our reporting Truthout is funded overwhelmingly by readers like you Please make a tax-deductible one-time or monthly donation today As Trump and his sycophants work to silence political dissent independent media is a key part of the resistance Support our work by making a one-time or monthly donation to Truthout today play iconWATCH NOW: Harry Miller hits out at Met Police decision to put Chris Kaba officer through gross misconduct hearing the Met Police claimed they believed the officer "should not face any further action due to the extensive evidence tried and tested at court and the not guilty verdict returned by the jury" - but have now followed the direction of the IOPC Discussing the latest development by the Met Police former police officer and founder of Fair Cop Harry Miller claimed the force "do not care" about the welfare of the officer who was cleared of murder Harry Miller has expressed his outage at the decision by the Met Police to begin a gross misconduct investigation into the officer who shot Chris Kaba Miller told GB News: "We have a double jeopardy situation with policing at the moment and if you're accused of something and it's possibly criminal then they go through professional standards which is what this poor officer is going through right now "And then if they fail to get you on that so if you've even been investigated for something they can say you've now failed your vetting and get rid of you that way." He fumed: "There are thousands and thousands of police officers who are being subject to this absolute tyrannical nonsense and I really hope that Sir Mark Rowley addresses this Addressing the details of the incident in 2022 Miller recalled how Kaba was using his car as a "lethal weapon" against the officers and so the firearms officer who made the decision to shoot him had "no time" to consider his decision Miller told GB News: "The officer was put in a very He didn't have the luxury of going away and thinking about it for a long Chris Kaba was in a vehicle - he was using that vehicle as a dangerous offensive weapon "When somebody is prepared to use a vehicle as a weapon So it's entirely wrong to say that Chris Kaba was was not armed that he didn't have a lethal weapon - he was driving a lethal weapon And so the officer had to make the decision in a split second Criticising the decision by the IOPC and the Met Police for going ahead with the gross misconduct hearing Miller claimed they have "no business" putting the officer through this ordeal Miller stated: "A jury has decided that his intentions were entirely honourable and noble and therefore I think the professional standards have no business whatsoever putting this poor man who is doing a duty on behalf of all of us through an intolerable situation Miller told GB News that the Met Police 'do not care' about the welfare of the officer "The police have done this to this good sergeant they say that they understand how awful it is for him "And I don't know who it is they're trying to impress because if they're trying to instil confidence in the public because we're all normal people asking 'what the hell is going on?'" Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: "We recognise the significant impact of Mr Kaba’s death on his family who continue to grieve the loss of a loved one the IOPC has been reconsidering whether he should face misconduct proceedings We made strong representations that he should not face any further action due to the extensive evidence tried and tested at court and the not guilty verdict returned by the jury." the IOPC has now determined that NX121 has a case to answer for his use of force and has directed us to hold a gross misconduct hearing "We know another lengthy process will fall heavily on the shoulders of NX121 and more widely our firearms officers who continue to bravely and tirelessly police the streets of London every day to protect the public." Incoming freshman Talibi Kaba can make an impact on both sides of the ball taking snaps at running back and defensive back in high school Talibi Kaba's commitment to the Rutgers football team significantly strengthens the Scarlet Knights' linebacker room heading into the 2025 season and beyond From Newark, New Jersey, Kaba is a four-star commit listed as the 35th-best linebacker in his class and the ninth-best overall player in the Garden State Kaba was a two-way player at Hillside High School taking snaps at both linebacker and running back Kaba made a big name for himself in high school impressing scouts with his ability to play both sides of the ball Kaba would go on to receive first-team all-conference and Big Central first-team all-division honors in his junior campaign Kaba has a chance to make an immediate impact for Rutgers if his speed and athleticism translate to the Big Ten level Some fans may question how a running back's production can translate to success at the linebacker position But players like Kaba understand the value of seeing the field from different perspectives on either side of the ball a linebacker's main objective is to fill the gap that a ball carrier is trying to find Kaba is able to understand the mindset of both the defender and the back Playing multiple positions allows Kaba to have a deeper understanding of the game which gives him the ability to play more freely But as impressive as Kaba's skillset is he shouldn't be rushed onto the field as a freshman A linebacker is typically referred to as the quarterback of the defense and it will take time for Kaba to adjust to the speed of Big Ten football Kaba would also benefit from college-level strength and conditioning before taking snaps in meaningful game action Kaba and the rest of the Knights' recruiting class hope to prove themselves in the offseason in the hopes of leaving an immediate impact on the Banks "I love football because it's just a part of me, it's life for me," Kaba said "I picked Rutgers because that's where it was just home to me." For more updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @TargumSports on X The police officer who was cleared of murdering Chris Kaba now faces a gross misconduct hearing was shot in the head by Martin Blake after he tried to ram police vehicles which had boxed him in after a vehicle stop The police watchdog said after “examining all the evidence” it had decided to go ahead with the disciplinary hearing Sgt. Martyn Blake, the Metropolitan Police officer who fatally shot Chris Kaba in 2022, will face a misconduct hearing despite being cleared of murder Blake shot Kaba after he attempted to break through a police cordon in Streatham The decision to proceed with a disciplinary hearing has sparked mixed reactions across the police force and the public Kaba's family welcomed the decision to proceed with misconduct hearings renewing their call for Martyn Blake to be removed from the Met Police They maintain that the fatal shooting of their 24-year-old son was unjustified and avoidable the family said Blake's promotion after the not guilty verdict only deepened their sense of injustice highlighting what they view as systemic failings in police accountability While they see the IOPC's ruling as a necessary step they stress that genuine justice will only be achieved if Blake is dismissed from the force and meaningful reforms follow The Metropolitan Police Federation strongly criticised the IOPC's ruling They argued that Blake's actions had already been deemed lawful by a jury and that further proceedings are unfair and unnecessary The Federation warned that the decision could undermine police confidence in using force to protect the public They further claimed that putting Blake through a disciplinary process despite his acquittal sends a damaging message to officers nationwide and risks deterring them from engaging in proactive policing The Metropolitan Police admitted the disciplinary proceedings would weigh heavily on firearms officers many of whom already feel demoralised by what they see as second-guessing of life-or-death decisions Senior officials stressed that Sergeant Blake had acted in what he believed was the only way to protect the public and his colleagues will be chaired by a senior officer from an external force to maintain transparency and impartiality throughout the process A post shared by instagram The outcome of the hearing could carry significant implications for both policing standards and public confidence in the UK as the debate over accountability and the legal thresholds for use of force continues to divide opinion While some argue that officers must be held accountable to maintain public trust others fear the process could discourage police from making critical decisions in high-pressure situations it will test not only the boundaries of lawful force but also the systems in place to balance justice transparency and the realities of modern policing Home Affairs EditorWednesday April 30 2025 The TimesMetropolitan Police officers have criticised a “nonsensical ruling” to bring gross misconduct proceedings against the marksman cleared of murdering Chris Kaba when he feared the rapper would kill officers as he tried to ram his way out of a hard stop in south London in September 2022 Armed police had pursued Kaba after his blue Audi Q8 was linked to a shooting in Brixton the previous night Kaba a gang member who opened fire on a rival in a packed nightclub days before the incident In October a jury at the Old Bailey in London unanimously acquitted Blake of murder but the Independent Sgt Martyn Blake shot dead Chris Kaba during a police stop in Streatham in September 2022 News | Crime Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice The Metropolitan Police firearms officer cleared of murdering gangster Chris Kaba will face a gross misconduct hearing and could be sacked following a review by the force’s watchdog described as “frankly nonsensical” shot dead Chris Kaba in Streatham after he drove at officers in an attempt to smash his way out of a roadblock in September 2022 He opened fire to protect his colleagues but he was charged with the 24-year-old’s murder following an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation and went on trial at the Old Bailey in October last year jurors took just three hours to find him not guilty IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said: “We understand the impact this decision will have on Chris Kaba’s family and Sergeant Blake and acknowledge the significant public interest in this case, particularly among our black communities, firearms officers and the wider policing community. “This is a decision we have taken based on examining all the evidence, views of all parties and by applying the thresholds set out in legislation and guidance which govern our work. Q&A: Why is it taking M&S so long to recover from a cyber attack? Co-op shuts off parts of IT system after attempted hack Porn artist danced after 'murdering' London couple dumped on bridge Adams tells court he ‘liked but did not have many dealings’ with British spy “The legal test for deciding whether there is a case to answer is low – is there sufficient evidence upon which, on the balance of probabilities, a disciplinary panel could make a finding of misconduct. This has been met and therefore we need to follow the legal process. “We appreciate that the Home Office is carrying out a review of the legal test for the use of force in misconduct cases, however, we must apply the law as it currently stands.” On the night Kaba died, police began following the Audi Q8 that he was driving because it had been used as a getaway car in a shooting in Brixton, south London, the night before. They did not know who was driving the car at the time, although it later emerged Kaba was a core member of one of London’s most dangerous street gangs and was accused of being involved in two shootings in the week before he died. On Wednesday, Met Police Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, using the cypher NX121 that was given to Mr Blake before a judge ruled he could be publicly named, said: “We know any fatal use of force by police understandably prompts concern among communities. “NX121 made a split-second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and London and a jury unanimously decided that was an honestly-held belief and the force used was reasonable. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “Sergeant Martyn Blake has already been unanimously acquitted of murder by a jury having carefully considered all the facts and evidence. “He made a difficult decision in the heat of a moment, when confronted by a car associated with firearms offences ramming into police officers. “We need to support police officers who do difficult things to protect the public, provided they act in accordance with the law, as a jury found this officer did. Kaba’s family welcomed the IOPC’s decision and said they “hope this leads to him being removed from the Met Police”. They said: “We are still so devastated to have lost Chris - this should never have happened. The fact that the Met promoted Martyn Blake after the verdict only deepened our pain and showed a complete disregard for our loss. Martyn Blake should not be allowed to remain a police officer. He should lose his job.” Deborah Coles, director of the charity Inquest, added: “The IOPC’s decision to direct disciplinary action over the killing of Chris Kaba is welcome. But the fact that the Metropolitan Police required direction and were not willing to take this step themselves is reprehensible.” Lawyers Daniel Machover and Ellie Cornish, of Hickman and Rose, said: “Chris Kaba's family today call upon the IOPC to present the misconduct case to the disciplinary panel so that the process is as fair and rigorous as possible. There must be no further delay in hearing the case.” Matt Cane, general secretary of the Met Police Federation, described the IOPC ruling as “frankly nonsensical”, adding it will shock police officers across London and the UK. He said: “Police officers should not have their livelihoods or liberty put at risk for performing what unequivocally, as has been found in a court of law, is their lawful and appropriate function. “Being cleared unanimously by a jury who heard all the evidence was not enough for the IOPC. They have now decided to put him and his family through more torment. “This is not accountability. This is not in the public interest. This is not right or fair or just. Dozens of Met armed officers downed tools in outrage when Mr Blake was charged with murder and the army was put on stand-by to plug the gap. He was cleared after a trial at the Old Bailey in October last year and questions were raised as to whether he should ever have been charged with murder. The IOPC said the charge was brought after “careful consideration of a significant amount of evidence” and the application of relevant legal tests while the Crown Prosecution Service said the matter had to be put before a jury. Mr Blake was publicly named during his trial as is standard practice, but restrictions remain in place banning the publication of his address or any description or image of him. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is bringing in legal changes that will give police marksmen accused of murder the right to anonymity up to the point of conviction. Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Lady Victoria Starmer VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin UK tourists face major travel shake-up as Dubai airport set to close Royals watch historic flypast as huge crowds turns out for VE Day 80th anniversary  Royals watch historic Red Arrows flypast for VE Day 80th anniversary A police watchdog is complaining to Ofcom over an episode of Panorama about the shooting of Chris Kaba The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it is in the process of lodging a formal complaint with the broadcast regulator after demands for a public apology from the BBC were not met Gang member Mr Kaba was shot by police officer Martyn Blake after trying to ram his way past police cars in Streatham The IOPC complained to the broadcaster after the Panorama episode initially aired without including its statement in reaction to claims by former regional director Sal Naseem. He suggested that the murder investigation into Mr Blake was launched amid pressure over potential unrest, which is denied by the IOPC. Mr Blake was cleared in October after an Old Bailey trial, with questions raised over whether he should ever have faced prosecution. He has yet to discover whether he will face internal Metropolitan Police misconduct proceedings over the shooting. The IOPC complained that the programme did not make clear that Mr Naseem no longer works for the watchdog, and that it was not given the proper right to reply to the claims over why the investigation was launched. The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) found that the programme did make clear that Mr Naseem no longer worked for the IOPC, but accepted that the programme makers should have included the IOPC statement and made clear to the watchdog what claims were going to be made. Its ruling concluded: “In relation to right of reply, the IOPC had contacted Panorama after becoming aware that the programme would include a contribution from an IOPC ‘insider’ and, in answer to an invitation to respond to criticisms, had provided a statement, but as a result of oversight the statement was not used in the programme. “In the ECU’s judgment Panorama should in any event have provided the IOPC with specific information about the claims to be made about it, and consequently found an element of unfairness to the IOPC. “However it noted Panorama had taken subsequent action to include the IOPC’s point of view in the iPlayer version of the programme and the related online article, in terms which we considered sufficient to resolve this aspect of the complaint.” An IOPC spokesperson said: “Having exhausted the BBC’s complaint procedure, in relation to its Panorama programme from November 2024 about the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba, we have decided to escalate our complaint to Ofcom. “The IOPC was given no right to reply to serious criticisms made about the organisation within that documentary and despite providing a statement prior to its broadcast, the statement was not used. “We are hugely dissatisfied that, despite admitting these two breaches of its own guidelines, the BBC has steadfastly refused to apologise publicly despite the IOPC providing evidence to show the serious reputational damage caused to the organisation as a result of the programme. “In particular, the suggestion within that programme, that the IOPC was pressured to start a homicide investigation, was wrong and resulted in public criticism from a number of media organisations and individuals including concerns raised by the London Assembly and local councillors about the IOPC’s independence and motivations. “Had we been aware this would be suggested, we would have strongly refuted it.” In the programme, Mr Naseem said that when the IOPC launched its homicide investigation four days after the shooting, “It was fed back to us… that if we hadn’t done it at that time then it’s likely there would have been a level of disorder.” The IOPC’s statement denying this has been added to the iPlayer version of the Panorama episode and online news stories. It said: “The decisions to criminally investigate Sergeant Blake, and then refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), followed careful consideration of a significant amount of evidence gathered during our independent investigation and by applying the relevant legal tests which govern our work.” Subscriptions The headlines about Chris Kaba tell us more about the society and media in this country than his killing Sign up to emails Subscribe to Byline Times Byline Times is an independent, reader-funded investigative newspaper, outside of the system of the established press, reporting on ‘what the papers don’t say’ – without fear or favour To support its work, subscribe to the monthly Byline Times print edition You probably missed the shooting itself – the September 2022 killing of an unarmed Black man by police in South London was bumped from most news programmes by the death of Queen Elizabeth – but we doubt you missed the trial On Monday, Metropolitan Police officer Martyn Blake was acquitted for the murder of Chris Kaba, reopening wounds and wars about police violence and Black Lives Mattering. But it is not the court trial we want to talk about today. It’s the media one The end of the trial came with the lifting of reporting restrictions and a media feeding frenzy – about the victim the judge refused to allow “bad character” evidence relating to Kaba to be shared with the jury Black police chief says the shortfall shows ‘why our members feel that things have got worse over the last four years’ Officer Blake knew the car that Kaba drove had been linked to a recent shooting but he did not know the identity of the driver nor the alleged crimes Kaba is now widely reported to have committed as a member of South London’s ‘67 gang’ Kaba’s criminal record formed no part of Blake’s decision to pull the trigger but it will forever be used to rationalise his death because the media decided to cash in on it It is fanciful to expect the media to overlook such click-worthy content But ask yourselves this question: do you believe police should be able to kill people who do not pose them an immediate threat To put it more simply: do you believe in capital punishment… without trial The North Area Basic Command Unit – which encompasses Enfield and Haringey two of the most ethnically diverse areas of London – has a long history of racial incidents by its employees then (as the judge in the trial ruled) Kaba’s alleged gang involvement is irrelevant to the rightfulness or wrongfulness of his death these headlines justify a death by dehumanising the dying man They say (to quote Spiked directly): “Chris Kaba was a gangster ex-Merseyside police officer (turned BLM founder) it is no surprise that The Met police petitioned for Kaba’s history to be publicised In a conversation with Media Storm about institutional racism and policing she said police forces often “problematise the victim “They are gaslighters in chief,” Black Police Association founder, Leroy Logan, said of the Met Police If they’re challenged, they close ranks at the expense of truth and justice When Blake was charged in 2023, then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley publicly condemned the CPS’ decision to prosecute, and scores of officers laid down their weapons in protest.  the court trial hinged not on Kaba’s unknown identity but on 13 seconds of activity – from when police vehicles surrounded his car to the moment Blake shot him in the head (he claimed to have aimed for his central body mass) Blake had to believe his target posed an immediate threat to life but a vehicle can be used as a weapon – albeit with more difficulty when it is penned in as police ‘vehicle containment’ operations are designed to do which Blake told jurors made him fear for his colleague’s life A report by the Children’s Commissioner found that kids as young as eight have been strip-searched every 14 hours under police stop and search powers He said: “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… I felt I had a duty to protect them.” This was the first time since joining firearms in 2016 that Blake had fired at a suspect It is on these grounds that Blake was acquitted not on the grounds that Kaba ‘had it coming’ But focus by police and the media on the latter indicates something scarier than one man misjudging a 13-second scenario It indicates they think the character justifies the killing In Media Storm’s episode ‘Policing: Behind the PR Machine’, former police officer Adam Pugh described similar attitudes following the 2011 police shooting of Mark Duggan a Black man also deemed to have been unarmed Social media users branded the post “outrageous” and it was slammed by the National Black Police Association “Seeing and hearing first-hand the attitude of fellow police officers towards Mark – that he’s a criminal he deserved what happened to him – is ultimately why I decided to leave” Now note this: UK police are twice as likely to shoot people of colour than white people, Black people are over twice as likely to die in police custody and no police officer who pulled the trigger has ever been found guilty of murder Blake’s assessment of Kaba’s life-threatening risk existed more in his head than in reality Blake failed to identify from footage of the incident which of his colleagues’ lives were in danger; the “great” speed at which he thought Kaba’s vehicle to be moving was identified as 12mph by the prosecution; and his defence relied in part on pleas of “perceptual distortion” – errors in memory caused by high-stress situations Perhaps it is not for us to re-examine evidence out of context and undermine the jury’s decision (though there is of course the open question of the need for judicial reform) Josh King said police told him he was stopped simply because he had a ‘nice car’ Perhaps fault lies with a culture that dehumanises and delegates police officers to pull the trigger when reality doesn’t necessitate it If Kaba’s death was caused by a distorted perception of threat and such perceptions disproportionately lead to Black people being killed perhaps we should question the role of the media in feeding these perceptions – as they press on with their merciless autopsy of a dead man “Had he not been killed,” Sky News reported “Kaba would’ve stood trial for attempted murder” And that is exactly what should have happened Kaba’s death prevented any trial from ever taking place he has been tried by our media – with no presumption of innocence and no right to defence – and posthumously sentenced to death The headlines about Chris Kaba do not tell us much about his killing but they certainly tell us a lot about the society in which it occurred and was acquitted ‘Policing: Behind the PR Machine’ is available wherever you get your podcasts Byline Times is brought to you by a dedicated team of journalists and contributors – producing independent, fearless, investigative and thought-provoking journalism not found in the established media. We are regulated by Impress To find the nearest newsagent stocking this month’s edition, search here. AboutContactSubscriptions Complaints Byline Media Holdings Ltd, Byline Times & Yes We Work Ltd This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The officer who shot Chris Kaba will face a gross misconduct hearing despite being cleared of murder The IOPC says further disciplinary review is needed The Metropolitan Police officer who fatally shot Chris Kaba the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has confirmed This follows the October 2024 acquittal of Sergeant Martyn Blake who was cleared of murder charges in a high-profile trial at the Old Bailey the IOPC has ruled that there is enough evidence to examine whether Blake breached police conduct standards during the incident armed officers stopped a vehicle in Streatham The Audi being driven by Chris Kaba had been linked to a recent firearms incident through automatic number plate recognition Sergeant Blake fired one shot through the windscreen A later search revealed that Kaba was unarmed at the time of the shooting The case quickly became the subject of public scrutiny and national protests The court heard that Kaba was under suspicion for his alleged ties to a gang and a recent nightclub shooting this information was not disclosed to the jury which ultimately found Blake not guilty after approximately three hours of deliberation the officer was reinstated to duty but remained under review pending any disciplinary outcomes The IOPC has now announced that Blake will face a formal disciplinary process The gross misconduct hearing will determine whether his use of force was justified or whether he violated established police procedures The IOPC stated that while the officer was acquitted in criminal court misconduct standards differ from legal standards and must be judged independently calling it a step toward justice and accountability “This is not about revenge—it’s about the value of a life,” one family member said They argue that launching misconduct proceedings after a court acquittal undermines public trust in the justice system and may discourage officers from serving in high-risk roles The Metropolitan Police said it respects the IOPC's process but emphasized that its officer had been cleared in a court of law no date has been announced for the gross misconduct hearing It is expected to be closely watched by human rights organizations Chris Kaba was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in South London in 2022 Martyn Blake is the Metropolitan Police firearms officer who shot Chris Kaba He was later acquitted of murder but now faces a misconduct hearing a post-incident search confirmed that Chris Kaba was not carrying a weapon when he was shot The IOPC argues that disciplinary rules differ from criminal law and a separate hearing is needed to assess potential breaches of police conduct a date for the hearing has not yet been announced All trademarks are the property of their respective owners All rights reserved @ 2025 Nishtya Infotech (India) Ltd Ex-cop calls LBC to defend investigation into Chris Kaba’s killer Former policeman Bob called Ben Kentish to insist firearms officers face 'accountability' for their actions In contrast to the prevailing opinion of serving police officers Bob supports the Independent Office for Police Conduct's investigation into Sgt Martyn Blake The armed police officer was cleared of murdering violent gangster Chris Kaba in south London last year - but will still face a gross misconduct hearing Sgt Blake was cleared of murder at the Old Bailey after just three hours and was immediately reinstated by the Metropolitan Police The IOPC said in a statement: “At the end of our investigation into the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba we determined there was sufficient evidence to indicate he may have breached the police professional standards regarding his use of force and therefore had a case to answer for gross misconduct." See more Latest News See more Best of LBC We provide bulletins and programmes for radio stations around the world Six months after the shooting in March 2023 the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog said the Met officer should face gross misconduct proceedings After he was acquitted of murder in October 2024 the Met argued the evidence against him had been “tested significantly” and that the IOPC should reconsider IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “We understand the impact this decision will have on Chris Kaba’s family and Sergeant Blake and acknowledge the significant public interest in this case “This is a decision we have taken based on examining all the evidence “The legal test for deciding whether there is a case to answer is low – is there sufficient evidence upon which “We appreciate that the Home Office is carrying out a review of the legal test for the use of force in misconduct cases we must apply the law as it currently stands.” If the hearing finds he committed gross misconduct he could face the sack police began following the Audi Q8 that he was driving because it had been used as a getaway car in a shooting in Brixton although it later emerged Mr Kaba was a core member of one of London’s most dangerous street gangs and was accused of being involved in two shootings in the week before he died Dozens of Metropolitan Police armed officers downed tools in outrage when Mr Blake was charged with murder and the army was put on stand-by to plug the gap He was cleared after a trial at the Old Bailey in October last year and questions were raised as to whether he should ever have been charged with murder The IOPC said the charge was brought after “careful consideration of a significant amount of evidence” and the application of relevant legal tests while the Crown Prosecution Service said the matter had to be put before a jury Mr Blake was publicly named during his trial as is standard practice Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is bringing in legal changes that will give police marksmen accused of murder the right to anonymity up to the point of conviction For breaking news and details of our latest offers If you are interested in receiving bulletins from Radio News Hub or would simply like to find out more please fill in the form below We operate on annual contracts - spread the cost is available Please check this box if you are happy for us to store your details for future contact Latest acquittal of an officer who shot dead unarmed Black man provokes disbelief frustration and resignation in south London Distrust, disbelief and frustration is palpable on the streets around Electric Avenue. Here in Brixton, the buzzing heart of south London news is sinking in that a police officer has been cleared of murdering an unarmed Black man in the borough Read moreSpeaking outside Brixton station the morning after a jury took three hours to return a not guilty verdict against Met officer Blake Carlton Warren said the verdict was “shocking” There’s nothing you can do,” the 64-year-old added “It’s frustration you feel more than anything But we’re living in perilous times – it’s going to get worse before it gets better.” Carlton Warren outside Brixton underground station has never had a bad encounter with police in London But in the 15 months he’s been in the country he’s heard so many stories about “Black people being stopped and searched without a report of them being involved in anything” that he says he’s “not really surprised” by Chris Kaba’s story The video producer says that even before he arrived in the UK from Nigeria “I feel like that’s the mindset that young Black people hold Distrust for the police and an expectation that they will be unfair.” On a street near the Ritzy Picturehouse, Isaiah Nature, 52, questioned why lethal force was necessary. “Even though [Chris Kaba] was known as a violent man Isaiah Nature in Brixton Photograph: Jill Mead/The GuardianBut while Isaiah was insistent that the shooting “wasn’t justified” he added: “The police officer is doing his job – you obey the law The police officers know him as a gunman and a troublemaker – [If I’m a police officer] I’ve got to make sure I’m safe Details of Kaba’s past offending were not put before the jury in the murder trial at the Old Bailey because the judge at the point he pulled the trigger on 5 September 2022 did not know these details and did not know who was in the Audi Q8 which police believed was linked to a firearms incident the night before Walking back from a Jamaican bakery on Coldharbour Lane was adamant that “justice hasn’t been served” She was sad for a family who have lost a son and incredulous at the idea police can’t “stop a situation” like Chris Kaba’s without resorting to lethal force because it’s just down the road from me,” she said I have got kids and I’m teaching them how to react [if they get stopped] I think if it was a Caucasian person bringing up kids In this situation [Chris Kaba] didn’t have a gun I think if it had been a Caucasian guy sitting in the car Free daily newsletterOur morning email breaks down the key stories of the day telling you what’s happening and why it matters following contact with the police,” she said “I understand [police] have a complex job with extreme pressures Black people are over-policed as citizens and under-policed as victims.” The MP added that the work of neighbourhood officers “working hard to rebuild trust” had been “hampered by a response unit” called for juries in such cases to hear expert evidence on institutional racism “If the rationale is a police officer only needs a reasonable belief to fire his weapon then it’s tantamount to a licence to kill,” he said “This verdict will make it absolutely clear to Black communities that when it comes to the Met police This article was amended on 24 October 2024 to add the contextual information that Kaba’s criminal record was not disclosed to the jury that deliberated in the trial of Martyn Blake saying he feared Kaba would use car to kill officers A Metropolitan police firearms officer who shot an unarmed suspect in the head has been acquitted of murder Sgt Martyn Blake shot Chris Kaba in September 2022 after stopping him on a residential street in Streatham, south London was being followed while driving an Audi that police believed was linked to a firearms incident the previous evening fuelled police anger that Blake was ever put on trial had already infuriated his fellow firearms officers as well as the force’s commissioner The commissioner called the system “broken” as his officer walked free from the Old Bailey on Monday with police chiefs lobbying ministers to make it harder for such a trial to happen again Police believe they have won a “policy package” from government as they press for reform of a system which they claim punishes them for doing their job Kaba’s family said they were “devastated” by the verdict in the face of “unimaginable grief” with his supporters saying it gave police “impunity” to kill had to be helped out of the courtroom after the verdict; another relative rocked back and forth and hours later the Met said his suspension was lifted He was flanked by police colleagues as he left the courtroom The police watchdog will consider whether he should still face disciplinary action for gross misconduct Scotland Yard remain on heightened alert in case of trouble and are closely monitoring community tensions Dozens of people gathered near the Old Bailey on Monday evening where a number of speakers demanded justice for Kaba and his family Other supporters held placards saying: “Justice for Chris Kaba” Supporters chanted: “Say his name: Chris Kaba” and “no justice One of the speakers called for people to join a march on Saturday in central London and said Kaba’s family would be there to hand a letter into 10 Downing Street who is struggling to recruit and retain enough officers for his embattled force said: “Sgt Blake made a split-second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and to protect London The jury decided that was an honestly held belief and the force used was reasonable “Any fatal use of force understandably prompts huge concern among communities particularly in Black communities where trust in policing is low … We know incidents like this place further strain on already challenged relationships but we have been clear the system holding police to account is broken I worry about the lack of support officers face for doing their best The more we crush the spirit of good officers Kaba’s family said: “The not guilty verdict leaves us with the deep pain of injustice adding to the unbearable sorrow we have felt since Chris was killed No family should endure the unimaginable grief we have faced and this decision shows his life – and many others like him – does not matter to the system “The acquittal of Martyn Blake isn’t just a failure for our family but for all those affected by police violence Police stopped the Audi not knowing who the driver was only that it was potentially linked to a shooting the night before The vehicle Kaba had been driving was forced to stop and was then surrounded by armed officers said he opened fire fearing Kaba would pull an officer under its wheels or run them over as their suspect tried to escape “at any cost” after being blocked in He said the car was being used as a weapon and he had fired in self-defence and also to protect his colleagues The prosecution said the Audi was blocked within seconds and could not have escaped nor run over officers at the point Blake shot The crown accepted that Kaba made “concerted” efforts to escape Scores of Met armed officers walked out when Blake was charged The force feared a conviction could have led to a fresh and potentially bigger rebellion and held discussions with army leaders about soldiers coming on to London’s streets said: “This outcome reinforces the harsh reality that police can kill without consequence No one can be safe while the police can kill with impunity.” said: “The British tradition of policing by consent relies on mutual bonds of trust between the public and the police It is important both that the police have the confidence of communities they serve and that officers have the support and confidence they need to do the difficult job of keeping us safe The government is committed to working with policing to strengthen confidence for the future.” The criminal investigation was carried out by the police watchdog the head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counter-terrorism division said: “We recognise that firearms officers operate under enormous pressure but it is our responsibility to put cases before a jury that meet our test for prosecution and we are satisfied that test was met in this case “It is therefore right that the case was put before the jury for them to scrutinise and to decide.” Condé Nast has announced the appointment of Cheryl Kaba as its new Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer who will officially join the company in early 2025 brings a wealth of experience in fostering inclusivity within large organisations having previously served as Executive Director of Talent and Diversity at Morgan Stanley Kaba worked closely with executives to develop an inclusive workforce across five divisions Her extensive career also includes an eleven-year stint at American Express where she held various leadership positions including Chief of Staff to the Chief Financial Officer of Global Consumer Services and Director of Global Inclusion and Diversity Kaba began her professional journey as a Senior Investor Relations Associate at Thomson Reuters Kaba will be at the forefront of the company’s diversity strategy Her responsibilities will include enhancing recruitment as well as ensuring that the principles of inclusion are evident in the company’s content and broader initiatives expressed his enthusiasm about Kaba’s appointment brings a wealth of expertise and a deep commitment to fostering inclusive work environments,” Duncan said Curated, edited, and published by our team, with stories provided by the AI news platform, Noah Wire Services South Carolina linebacker Mohamed Kaba entered the NCAA transfer portal Kaba originally committed as part of the 2020 class He’ll now look elsewhere to continue his college career CLICK HERE to go to PrizePicks and use code ON3 to receive a guaranteed $50 once you play $5 in lineups! Kaba played in just two games due to torn ACLs when he played in all 13 games for South Carolina and set career highs with 32 tackles and two tackles for loss As a member of the Class of 2020, Kaba was a four-star recruit out of Clinton (N.C.) High, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 11 overall prospect in the state, the No. 33 linebacker in the class and the No. 274 overall prospect in the class. Top 101Shane BeamerPuts NCAA on blast Hot3Trump By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms and use of my personal information described therein South Carolina is waiting to see if it’ll sneak into the College Football Playoff “I do believe we deserve a spot in the 12-team playoff,” head coach Shane Beamer said but it’s hard for me to sit there and say that we’re not one of the 12 best teams in the country I think we’re now four and one on the road this year in tough environments We’re not going and playing in front of 20,000 people on the road like some teams do in this country We go in front into hostile environments every single week and our only loss on the road is a two-point loss.” Save $30 on your first month of Fubo by CLICKING HERE NOW! For a limited time, you can get your first month of Fubo for as low as $49.99. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.) “You talk about the strength of schedule. I think today is what our fourth top 25 win with, I believe the 12th highest strength of schedule. So I get it. There’s some very deserving teams out there, but if the committee’s job is to pick the 12 best teams, you tell me, you tell me on Selection Sunday, everybody across the country of South Carolina pops up in that bracket. I don’t know of any team that would be excited about having to play this team the way that we’re playing right now.” Hot3Trump, Saban blastedNIL order ripped On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media a jury acquitted Blake of murder after deliberating for just less than three hours The clips show Kaba's black Audi boxed in by police vehicles and Kaba's Audi was believed to have been linked to a shooting the previous evening Blake said he had fired the shot at Kaba in self-defence but the prosecution argued that the car was boxed in and could not hurt the officers at the scene Some viewers may find the footage distressing Met police officer who shot Chris Kaba acquitted of murder Police officer Martyn Blake has been cleared of murdering Chris Kaba when he shot him in the head in south London two years ago The officer denied intending to kill the 24-year-old Mr Blake told the court: "I had a genuine belief that there was an imminent threat to life Read more on this story here ShareSaveExperience the VE Day flypast from inside a Red Arrows cockpit in 360 videoExperience flying over London with a Red Arrows pilot in our special immersive video from the cockpit. Watch: Prince Louis steals the show as royals mark VE DayRoyal Family members are at the heart of commemorations to mark 80 years since World War Two ended in Europe. Watch: Prince Harry's exclusive interview in fullThe Duke of Sussex has told the BBC he "would love a reconciliation" with the Royal Family. Prince Harry 'can't see a world' where his family will visit the UKThe Duke of Sussex says the downgrading of taxpayer-funded protection makes visiting the UK too risky. 'I hope I've done her proud': Fathers of Southport victims complete London marathon Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe entered the race to raise money for projects set up in their daughters' memory. Three brothers drive tiny bus from Land's End to John O'GroatsJames, Andrew and Will Emerton from Cheshire took it in turns to drive the miniature petrol-powered bus. Farm fail: BBC reporter tries to bottle feed newborn lambIt's lambing season, so BBC Breakfast decided to visit a farm to meet some of the new arrivals. Twinkle, twinkle, little... carrot? King Charles tries out root musicDuring a reception at Windsor Castle, the King surprised those gathered with a rendition of a popular nursery rhyme. 'Just brutal' - Owner speaks of trauma after alpacas shot deadThe owner of the Alpacas Dawn French told BBC Breakfast she has no thoughts on who could have done it. Watch: Eyewitness videos show towering flames at substationLondon's Heathrow Airport is closing Friday due to a significant power outage caused by a nearby fire at an electricity substation. Watch: Kate drinks Guinness and pets mascot in St Patrick's celebrationThe Irish Guards regiment toasts the Princess of Wales, who has been its colonel since 2023. Kate attends St Patrick's Day parade in LondonThe Princess of Wales was seen sipping a Guinness to mark the day with the Irish Guards. BBC travels out to 'blistered and burnt' oil tanker in North SeaWhile at least two million litres of jet fuel are in the water, there is some positive news. Watch moment cargo ship and oil tanker collide in North SeaA thermal imaging camera onboard a nearby ship captured the collision on Monday. Wales punches above its weight in arts, says FryThe broadcaster and writer is president of Hay Festival, which takes place in May and June. Watch: Charred cargo ship and oil tanker seen from aboveThe two ships collided in the North Sea on Monday and the cargo ship is still on fire. 'Please be Dinah': The heartbreaking wish of a missing girl's fatherA BBC Scotland journalist recalls a haunting moment with the father of missing teenager Dinah McNicol. 'President Zelensky is a hero,' says Kemi BadenochThe Conservative leader said her "heart went out" the Ukrainian president after his row with the US president. Ralph McClure: 'It was a job and you did it to your best ability'The veteran didn't tell his family about his role in the Normandy landings for 70 years. WATCH: Mark White reports on the news the officer cleared of murdering Chris Kaba is to face a misconduct hearing The officer who was cleared of murdering Chris Kaba now faces a gross misconduct disciplinary over the shooting Following a review by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) the officer has been told he must appear before a hearing and could be sacked The sergeant was found not guilty after a trial at the Old Bailey in October last year. However he now faces the prospect of losing his livelihood over the shooting because disciplinary offences are based on the civil test which states that an honest but mistaken belief must also be "reasonable" Kaba was shot by the police officer after trying to ram his way past police cars in Streatham it could be reported that Kaba was a core member of The 67 one of London’s most dangerous gangs and was accused of being involved in two shootings in the six days before he was killed There were claims that the officer was left with a bounty on his head after his trial and questions were raised as to whether he should have been prosecuted Prosecutors had made the argument during the trial that the officer had acted out of "fear the defence had accepted the argument that he had followed his training to the letter and had fired because he genuinely believed the lives of his colleagues were in danger new rules giving anonymity to firearms officers accused of murder were announced by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper head of the charity Inquest Deborah Coles has warned the move puts police above the scrutiny faced by the rest of the public Coles said: "Introducing a presumption of anonymity for firearms officers sets a dangerous precedent: that police officers are above the scrutiny faced by everyone else "It chips away at open justice and risks further eroding public trust in policing There is no evidence to justify this sweeping protection especially when courts already have powers to grant anonymity in exceptional cases "One rule for them and another for the public is not justice – it is impunity." Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Police officers in specialist roles who make split-second decisions to keep the public safe must have the confidence to carry out their duties knowing that the systems which hold them to account for their decisions are fair those processes have involved unacceptable delays and confusion which has been damaging both for the police and the public." These changes will help to boost confidence that the system will work swiftly and effectively for all those involved." Published: Invalid Date FURY has erupted after a misconduct probe was launched into the cop cleared of shooting gangster Chris Kaba Jurors took just 16 minutes to clear Martyn Blake, 41, of murder for shooting Kaba in the head after he tried to ram his Audi at cops in September 2022. Kaba, 24, was previously unmasked as a feared gangster linked to two brutal shootings in the six days leading up to his death in September 2022 the police watchdog today revealed they will pursue a misconduct probe against Blake who has been forced into hiding after gangsters put a bounty on his head with ex cops calling the move "vindictive Former Met Police detective Peter Bleksley has blasted the IOPC's decision "What Martyn Blake did was justified and we are very lucky to have people like him who put themselves in the line of danger for no extra pay and because they feel compelled to do it thereby protecting the public." The ex-cop claimed that he believed the IOPC have pursued the claim because they are "desperate to hang a firearms officers out to dry". He added: "This is utterly vindictive and completely unnecessary. former Met Police DCI Mike Neville echoed Bleksley's views on the matter He told The Sun: “It’s an outrage and the public will be outraged "I suggest they take them to the firearms range and they give them one of those tests where targets suddenly fly out in front of you "Is it a woman with a baby or is it a man with a gun "Let them see what it's like to have to make that life-changing decision in a split second and what happens." Kaba was trying to ram his way free from a police stop with Blake telling jurors he opened fire because he feared for the lives of his colleagues IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: "We understand the impact this decision will have on Chris Kaba's family and Sergeant Blake and acknowledge the significant public interest in this case "This is a decision we have taken based on examining all the evidence "The legal test for deciding whether there is a case to answer is low - is there sufficient evidence upon which "This has been met and therefore we need to follow the legal process. We appreciate that the Home Office is carrying out a review of the legal test for the use of force in misconduct cases, however, we must apply the law as it currently stands." If the hearing finds he committed gross misconduct Blake could face the sack Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp was among those fuming at the ruling and said: "Sergeant Martyn Blake has already been unanimously acquitted of murder by a jury having carefully considered all the facts and evidence "He made a difficult decision in the heat of a moment when confronted by a car associated with firearms offences ramming into police officers "This has hung over Sergeant Blake for too long Kaba's family said they welcomed the news of the hearing and they hoped it would lead to Sgt Blake being removed from the Met Police "We are still so devastated to have lost Chris - this should never have happened," the family said On the night Kaba died, cops began following the Audi Q8 that he was driving because it had been used as a getaway car in a shooting in Brixton, south London They did not know who was driving the car at the time, although it later emerged it was Kaba - a core member of one of London's most dangerous street gangs Officers then stopped the vehicle in Kirkstall Gardens Hemmed in by marked and unmarked police cars Kaba then began reversing and driving forward to try and ram his way out Dozens of Metropolitan Police armed officers downed tools in outrage when Blake was charged with murder and the army was put on stand-by to plug the gap The cop was cleared after a trial at the Old Bailey in October last year and questions were raised as to whether he should ever have been charged with murder The court also heard how a £10,000 reward was issued against Sgt Blake by Kaba’s criminal associates Blake was publicly named during his trial as is standard practice Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is bringing in legal changes that will give police marksmen accused of murder the right to anonymity up to the point of conviction Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ While Martyn Blake was acquitted of murder questions have been raised about why he didn’t face alternative charge In the fallout from the acquittal of Martyn Blake, the police firearms officer who stood trial for the murder of Chris Kaba One of them is why the he was not charged with manslaughter The theory goes that it was always going to be difficult to get a jury to convict a police officer of the most serious form of homicide whereas manslaughter may have been an easier to prove and more palatable option The argument appears to be supported by the fact that no police officer has ever been convicted of murdering a suspect and that the only time an officer has been found guilty over a death in the line of duty in the last 37 years was for manslaughter However, in that 2022 case, in which PC Benjamin Monk was convicted over the death of the former footballer Dalian Atkinson the officer did not kill the former professional footballer with a firearm but used an electric stun gun on him and kicked him in the head as he lay on the ground Monk was convicted of unlawful act manslaughter which is when death occurs as a result of a criminal act that a reasonable person would realise must have subjected the victim to at least some risk of harm a murder conviction requires intent to kill or cause grievous bodily harm the jury had to decide whether it was an unlawful act and also the level of harm he intended to cause Atkinson or should have foreseen would have been inflicted on him While Blake said he did not intend to kill Kaba and told the court he aimed for his central body mass – the bullet actually struck Kaba in the head – it would be difficult to argue that the intent a difficulty that would extend to other cases involving police firearms officers The key issue in the Blake trial was therefore not the level of harm he intended to cause to Kaba but whether he acted lawfully If the jury felt that he had acted unlawfully it would only have had to find that by firing at Kaba’s chest Blake intended to cause him grievous bodily harm to conclude that he was guilty of murder it seems unlikely that giving the jury the alternative option of unlawful act manslaughter would have made a difference A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: “We presented the case on the basis that this was murder and that there was no realistic alternative. This is because our case was that the defendant used fatal force and therefore intended to kill or at the very least to cause serious harm and that he was not acting in lawful self-defence.” They said Blake’s evidence that he did not intend to cause serious harm “raised the possibility that manslaughter could be left open to the jury” but this argument was rejected by Goss. WATCH NOW: Danny Shaw says it isn't 'fair or proportionate' to be putting the officer cleared of murdering Chris Kaba through a gross misconduct hearing The Metropolitan Police has been criticised after confirming that the officer who shot Chris Kaba in 2022 will now face a gross misconduct hearing - despite being cleared of murder Despite the not guilty verdict at trial last October The officer shot Kaba in the head in Streatham on September as Kaba attempted to drive at officers and "smash his way out of a roadblock" Danny Shaw hit out at the decision to place the officer who shot Chris Kaba through a gross misconduct hearing Crime and Policing Commentator Danny Shaw criticised the "absurd" rules that are currently in place when it comes to misconduct regulations Shaw explained: "He was cleared of murder unanimously by a jury after three hours of deliberation last year and yet he now faces a gross misconduct hearing over allegations that he used excessive force when he shot dead Chris Kaba "So the misconduct hearing into his use of excessive force will be held probably next year which means another agonising wait for the officer it just doesn't make any sense at all." Highlighting that despite the verdict by the court the officer could "still be sacked" Shaw told GB News: "This is a consequence of the rather absurd rules that are in place over misconduct Protests took place following Chris Kaba's death in 2022 "Rules and regulations that basically say that even though you've been cleared in a criminal trial that grainy footage of what happened and that night has been analysed over and over again the jury has given a clear ruling - there is still the possibility that he could be sacked When asked by host Ellie Costello if he believes that the decision could spark protest amongst other armed officers in the force He stated: "We've already had a sort of protest at the time when the officer was charged some firearms officers declined to carry on with their duties There isn't a huge pool of firearms officers willing to take up that role "There are some shortages in some parts of the country a lot of assessment - and so what I think you have is a situation where we expect the highest standards from our firearms officers and we expect that if they do make a mistake or there's a fatal shooting Shaw concluded: "Officers who make mistakes or errors of judgment there must be scrutiny of that - but we should also expect that the system of misconduct rules and regulations should be proportionate and fair as well Shaw told GB News that there could 'potentially' be fresh protests from fellow firearms officers with the intense scrutiny of the decisions that this officer made in a split second I don't think it's fair or proportionate for him to have to undergo a second level of scrutiny with a misconduct hearing He added: "I understand why the decision was made by the IOPC but I don't think those laws and regulations are fit for purpose." Met officer Martyn Blake has been cleared of murder but questions remain about police and the use of lethal force After the Met officer Martyn Blake was charged in 2023 with killing Chris Kaba, scores of his colleagues put down their guns in protest led to an emergency legal hearing to address concerns about prejudicing the coming trial after a murder trial has ended in Blake’s acquittal the row is likely not only to become public once again The killing of Kaba, 24, in south London on 5 September 2022 was the latest chapter in a long debate over how Britain deals with fatal shootings by agents of the state In the past, they have led to the worst riots to blight England since the war and mental anguish for those involved including the families of both gunman and victim There has also been pressure for reform of criminal and human rights laws – and how those using state-sanctioned lethal powers are held to account But the loudest voices in Blake’s defence will say he was mistreated, and that firearms officers need greater protections against prosecution. Police chiefs have been pressing for this and the government is considering whether to act The Old Bailey trial that ended on Monday concerned just 13 seconds of activity: from the police stop of the Audi Q8 Kaba was driving to the point Blake fired a single bullet through the windscreen and into Kaba’s head Police believed the Audi had been involved in a firearms incident in south London the previous night Those outraged by Blake’s treatment view him as a dedicated public servant put through the indignity of a murder trial Blake’s picture cannot be published and he fought to remain anonymous. Kaba had been on the phone and realised he was being followed telling a friend: “I think there is police behind me.” A white Tesla was parked on the left-hand side of the road Blake’s BMW pulled in between the two civilian vehicles This was what police call the “containment phase” of the operation who told the Guardian his force would have waited for the containment to be tight before officers rushed out of their cars This would negate the chance of the vehicle being used as a weapon with defence barrister Patrick Gibbs KC telling the court the Audi had “far more room to manoeuvre than was safe” doors” rang out as armed officers burst from their cars shouting “show me your fucking hands” and surrounded the Audi the Audi first smashed into the BMW and the parked Tesla round first the side and then the back of the parked van and took a position protected by the side of the police BMW For those seconds he was repositioning himself tyre screeches and the Audi moving at “great” speed It was the first British police shooting that led to a murder trial caught on video with a series of cameras worn by police and in their cars providing footage relied on by the prosecution Blake claimed officers were in danger of being run over or dragged under the Audi but he could not point out in extensive video footage which officers’ lives he feared for During two days testifying in his own defence, Blake said he became “filled with dread” that the suspect would use the vehicle as a weapon and kill his colleagues Blake said: “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 “I thought I was the only person with effective firearms cover at the time I felt I had a duty to protect them at the time.” part of which peeled off as it pierced the Audi windscreen that was recovered during postmortem from Kaba’s brain It was the first time since joining firearms in 2016 that he had fired at a suspect police theoretically have no greater protections than the ordinary subject when using force The use of force needs to be proportionate reasonable and the belief it is necessary needs to be honestly held They do not have to be correct in every detail and it is for the prosecution to prove none of this applies The received wisdom heading into the trial is that despite the phalanx of confidence-shattering police scandals juries were reluctant to convict cops “standing up” for themselves the jury heard how Blake was from a middle-class background a voracious reader who first worked in finance before joining the Met to escape a desk job In court Blake relied in part on a defence that so stressful and rapid were the events that some of his errors were the result of a psychological phenomenon called “perceptual distortion” four men who were unarmed at the point they faced armed police have been shot dead by the Met in non-terrorist operations All were black – a fact that is significant for some and coincidental for others Rodney’s killing led to the last murder trial of an armed officer, Tony Long, who in 2015 was acquitted by majority verdict. In all four cases the officer’s account contained inaccuracies Long told the Guardian: “Unlike a camera that records everything perfectly the human brain has to record everything for a lifetime so it is constantly deciding what it needs to keep and what it does not “In high-stress situations the brain remembers the key bits and discards other things so people get and not one of them got their evidence right.” Long, who opened fire three times in his Met career said of the decision to shoot: “You do not take it 10 minutes or even 10 seconds beforehand I made that decision at the very last second.” One former police chief said demanding armed officers Sir Peter Fahy was chief constable of Greater Manchester police when its officers shot an unarmed man, Anthony Grainger in 2012. Fahy told the Guardian: “It is the impossible and the unacceptable. By which I mean that it was impossible given the stress and speed of firearms incidents for officers to give a full and an accurate account, and it was unacceptable in a proper democracy for an agent of state to do anything otherwise, after they have used lethal force.” we need to take an uncomfortable look at the way the force – and society at large – treat young Black men There has been a fierce outcry in the wake of Chris Kaba’s death, after the police marksman who shot him – Martyn Blake – was acquitted of his murder. But if you’re wondering why there is such an outpouring of grief, shock and emotion – after all, Kaba, it has since been revealed was a “core member” of one of London’s most dangerous gangs and would have stood trial for attempted murder over a nightclub shooting – it’s because this was an entirely avoidable tragedy And to stop this happening again, we now need to take an uncomfortable look at the way the force – and society at large – treats young Black men. That’s because the confrontation between the police and Kaba, 24, is symptomatic of a system in which Black men in the UK are set up to fail I don’t for a moment condone Kaba’s attempt to ram his way out of the police blockade; or the gang violence in his criminal record The officer who shot him said he feared for his life and his fellow officer’s safety (though he was later found to be unarmed) But it is a system in which, according to 2022 figures officers stop Black drivers 56 per cent more than white drivers (though those are the most recent figures we have because the Met opted to stop recording that data a month after Kaba was shot) The police are also four times more likely to use violence against Black people. This was illustrated in the case of Huugo Boateng the 13-year-old boy who was chased down by police and threatened with Tasers while on a charity bike ride with his father This happened because he matched the description of “Black man on a bike” Can you imagine the police ever going out and threatening to Taser the first white boy they saw riding a bike regardless of what you think of Kaba’s case in particular it would be wrong to pretend that this increased willingness on the part of the police to pursue and use force against Black people played no part in the story of how we got here That means racism in society creates racism in employment, which traps many Black people in poverty. Many young Black men therefore grow up in areas that are disproportionately policed by a police force with an institutional bias against Black people Chris Kaba is just the most recent chapter in a long story But fixing this problem requires the political will to take Black people out of poverty and out of the crosshairs of the police – and it helps no one to have Tory leadership hopefuls like Robert Jenrick trying to score political points over the Kaba case calling Blake a “hero” and saying he did “nothing wrong” The facts remain: regardless of Kaba’s previous criminal record Labour must do better to address the root causes that lead to the deaths of Black people on our streets whether through gang violence or at the hands of the police – and that means looking closely at systemic racism and the consistent underfunding of deprived areas It means addressing targeted racial profiling and it means mandating that job applications be anonymised, so Black people have the exact same opportunities as everyone else. It means better police vetting and improving the culture within the force, to address the institutional problems laid bare in the Casey Report. How do you rebuild trust in our police system By ensuring that Black people can trust the police to treat them fairly Officer Blake defended his decision to shoot Chris Kaba in the head by arguing that he feared Kaba would use his car to kill his fellow officers. But there is a serious conversation to be had about bias – and whether officers from a police force that was recently certified as “institutionally racist” are best placed to assess the danger posed by Black citizens. But we’re coming in at the end of the story. As Kaba’s family have already implied, if you just focus on the shooting, you’re missing the point. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies govt and politics"},{"score":0.930498,"label":"/society/racism"},{"score":0.876698,"label":"/society/crime"},{"score":0.790398,"label":"/law Sergeant Martyn Blake was cleared of murder by a jury after he fatally shot Chris Kaba in September 2022 - but he now faces a gross misconduct hearing Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Judge rules details of Kaba’s criminal past can be reported after police officer who shot him was cleared of murder Chris Kaba, the unarmed man killed by a police firearms officer, was pictured on CCTV shooting a man on a nightclub dancefloor and was alleged to be a core member of a London gang A judge ruled on Tuesday that details of Kaba’s criminal past could be released, a day after a Metropolitan police officer, Martyn Blake, was cleared of murdering him contained a passport belonging to man named Marcus Pottinger Also in the boot was court paperwork and other letters belonging to Connel Bamgboye a former music producer once convicted of county lines drug dealing he had been driving the same Audi when stopped by armed police This year, Pottinger, Bamgboye and a third man were convicted of offences linked to a shooting on 30 August 2022 in the Oval Space nightclub in Hackney The footage showed a man with a gun chasing another man across a busy dancefloor and shooting him in the leg The man chases the victim on to the street outside while firing the gun and the victim received another gunshot to the leg Kaba was named in court during the Hackney shooting trial as the gunman He had arrived at the nightclub in the same Audi in which police shot him dead six days later Kaba was said to be part of a south London rap group called 67. Several members have convictions or alleged links to drugs and violence. Police and prosecutors said 67 was a gang based in the Brixton Hill area the prosecutor Karim Khalil KC said: “Chris Kaba pulled a handgun out of a bag which had been smuggled into the club … Chris Kaba shot him [the victim] in the upper part of his left leg The bullet went straight through his leg.” This time a bullet went through the upper part of his right leg,” the court heard 0:38CCTV shows moment Chris Kaba shoots a man in a nightclub in 2022 – videoThe Audi was also linked to a shooting in May 2022 in Bromley Kaba was first convicted of a crime aged 13 and served spells in prison he was convicted of having an imitation firearm he faced a hearing to decide if he deserved a gang prevention order He was alleged to be a gang lieutenant whose street name was Itch The jury was not told about Kaba’s criminal past as Blake could not have known about it at the point he decided to shoot A source close to Blake told the Guardian that during the Old Bailey trial the threat to him remained severe Blake was named only after a legal challenge by media organisations and his picture cannot be published because of a court order The family of Kaba had sought to extend reporting restrictions relating to his criminal past pending the end of all legal proceedings argued publication of details about his character could quell any potential unrest The Met police deputy assistant commissioner Stuart Cundy said in a statement: “It is the Metropolitan police’s assessment that the open and transparent disclosure of Mr Kaba’s character at the conclusion of the … trial will significantly reduce the risk of unrest on London’s streets and help keep the public safe.” Cundy said planned protests about the acquittal would be largely peaceful but some people could try to commit violence He said that in the London borough of Lambeth where the 67 gang is based and where Kaba was shot trust in police among the black community was low Cundy said there was a danger of giving the local community a “misleading impression” about who Kaba was and that “there would be the clear potential for emotions to tip into disorder” Deborah Coles, director of INQUEST said: “These are familiar state tactics that demonise the deceased to reflect from the stark reality of the shooting dead of an unarmed black man whose identity they did not know Rather than trying to legitimise Chris’s killing the police should focus on ensuring that these killings end.”