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Original poster

Police officer cleared

861 replies

Toomanywars · 21/10/2024 18:39

Martin Blake police officer today cleared by a jury of unlawful killing of Chris Kaba

Should police officers get more support. Perhaps not release name until after trial or inquiry.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
Startingagainandagain · 21/10/2024 20:22

'I have no sympathy for criminals who end up dead.'

This.

If he had stopped and allowed the officers to speak to him/arrest him, he would still be alive today.

bigageap · 21/10/2024 20:25

As so often the first response nails it.

RobinStrike · 21/10/2024 20:27

JaniceBattersby · 21/10/2024 18:50

Police officers should absolutely be named at charge, the same as any defendant. We can’t have one rule for some members of society and another for others - especially if they’re police officers. Trust in the criminal justice system is low enough without such an affront to open justice.

There was no chance any jury was ever going to convict him on that evidence but I am glad it was tested in court. If it hadn’t been, public confidence in the Met would have been further dented and the victim’s family would have called for justice for the next two decades. The prosecution of a police officer shooting a member of the public is usually going to be in the public interest, even if there’s a likely not guilty verdict.

The family are already claiming they didn't get justice, linking it to BLM and saying they will never rest until they have justice. They don't recognise that a jury, independent of the police and CPS found the police officer not guilty.

Zanatdy · 21/10/2024 20:27

username35890 · 21/10/2024 19:34

He was stationary and was blocked from behind. He couldn't move back and a police officer was standing in front of him. He wasn't driving at the police. He hit the car behind him and one car to the side.

The police said he was coming at speed but you can see from the footage that he bumped a car behind him and one to the side then came to a stop.

Show quote history

Yes but was about to speed off again, or it was reasonable to consider he was about to do that. Had he just stopped when asked by armed police, he wouldn’t have been shot.

username35890 · 21/10/2024 20:28

Serencwtch · 21/10/2024 19:55

The officer did not have access to CCTV when he made the decision. He had to make repeated difficult decisions in fractions of a second in order to protect you, the public!

In a situation where you came face to face with someone like Kaba would you be able to handle it or would you call the police?

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If he can't do his job without shooting unarmed civilians in the head, he shouldn't be doing it.

I can't believe how pro police people are. All the unarmed men shot by the police have been black. Investigations have found the police to be institutionally racist and it seems to be chock full of abusers, but apparently they can't do anything wrong.

The officer lied, he said that the car was coming towards him at speed, we can all see it was stationary. He said there was an imminent threat to life - there wasn't.

He could see -he didn't need CCTV or any other evidence - that the man had his hands on the wheel and the car was stationary.

username35890 · 21/10/2024 20:31

Zanatdy · 21/10/2024 20:27

Yes but was about to speed off again, or it was reasonable to consider he was about to do that. Had he just stopped when asked by armed police, he wouldn’t have been shot.

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I think it's delightful that people are so trusting. There's me thinking people were cynical nowadays but it's not true.

NewGreenDuck · 21/10/2024 20:33

I'll say it again. He could have stopped the car, turned off the engine and been arrested.
He clearly thought he could get away. Move the car back and forth and the police withdraw so he can get away.

ChampaignSupernova · 21/10/2024 20:41

I don't think any defendants name until after trial and only if convicted. People make their own assumptions without actually sitting in the court room and hearing the evidence and releasing a defendants name just puts them and their families at risk. Many read what they are accused of but don't read the fact they are cleared by a jury.

"In the public interest" is not about protecting the public or those involved in the case where the press are concerned. It's about what will literally be an interesting read over lunch.

suburburban · 21/10/2024 20:42

On the news it was saying her was reversing his car and trying to hit the police car.

Livelovebehappy · 21/10/2024 20:43

username35890 · 21/10/2024 19:19

The car was stationary when he was shot. The officer who killed him stood in front of the car. He tried to get away and hit a couple of cars, he was driving very very slowly. There were no weapons in his car and both hands were on the steering wheel.

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Shouldn’t have tried to get away then 🤷‍♀️

Livelovebehappy · 21/10/2024 20:48

username35890 · 21/10/2024 20:28

If he can't do his job without shooting unarmed civilians in the head, he shouldn't be doing it.

I can't believe how pro police people are. All the unarmed men shot by the police have been black. Investigations have found the police to be institutionally racist and it seems to be chock full of abusers, but apparently they can't do anything wrong.

The officer lied, he said that the car was coming towards him at speed, we can all see it was stationary. He said there was an imminent threat to life - there wasn't.

He could see -he didn't need CCTV or any other evidence - that the man had his hands on the wheel and the car was stationary.

Show quote history

You’ve already said yourself he wasn’t stationary. He was moving backwards and forwards to try and manoeuvre his way out. And yes I am pro police. As are most people. Without them protecting us on the streets we’d be at the mercy of thugs like Kaba.

Emdubz70 · 21/10/2024 20:50

Livelovebehappy · 21/10/2024 20:43

Shouldn’t have tried to get away then 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

So shoot his tyres out? Don’t shoot the guy in the head.

MilletOver · 21/10/2024 20:50

GiveMeVodkaPlease · 21/10/2024 20:17

@MilletOver - as far as I can see Kaba isn't mentioned in that article?

Because of reporting restrictions at the time. Because this case was sub judice. But CK is the alleged gun man reported as being deceased.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 21/10/2024 20:51

All the unarmed men shot by the police have been black

Not sure why you'd post this when it's so obviously not true, @username35890 ... Sean Fitzgerald, Anthony Grainger, Steven Colwell and David Howell were all white

And far from "they can't do anything wrong", being human the police can and do get things wrong, but at least they're held to account for their actions via enquiries and even trials where appropriate
Sometimes of course the result won't be what some want, but that can't be helped since we're entitled to our own opinions but not our own facts

EssexMan55 · 21/10/2024 20:53

username35890 · 21/10/2024 19:19

The car was stationary when he was shot. The officer who killed him stood in front of the car. He tried to get away and hit a couple of cars, he was driving very very slowly. There were no weapons in his car and both hands were on the steering wheel.

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You stand in front of a slowly moving car and see what happens. It wasn’t slow enough that jumping out of the way would save you.

NDerbys32 · 21/10/2024 20:55

The end result of many years of poor decision making by the deceased. He had choices, at every turn. His actions and his consequences.

People would be staggered at the level of Police firearms training. Fast time decision making under pressure, tested time and again, and is responsible for the incredibly low number of discharges in the UK.

'Justice' is not only served when you get the result that you want, and demand.

The real issue does not lie in policing.

Firestace · 21/10/2024 20:58

username35890 · 21/10/2024 20:28

If he can't do his job without shooting unarmed civilians in the head, he shouldn't be doing it.

I can't believe how pro police people are. All the unarmed men shot by the police have been black. Investigations have found the police to be institutionally racist and it seems to be chock full of abusers, but apparently they can't do anything wrong.

The officer lied, he said that the car was coming towards him at speed, we can all see it was stationary. He said there was an imminent threat to life - there wasn't.

He could see -he didn't need CCTV or any other evidence - that the man had his hands on the wheel and the car was stationary.

Show quote history

This is the issue with body cam footage, it makes it harder for people like you to try and push your own agenda with fantasy. You can hear the car revving, you can see him clearly be told to raise his hands and looking out at the police and then proceeding to speed off, he only didn't manage it because he got wedged between a police car and another car. The accounts from the police match the footage and let's be real this doesn't sound like someone with a high regard for the lives of other people does it.

EssexMan55 · 21/10/2024 20:58

Emdubz70 · 21/10/2024 20:50

So shoot his tyres out? Don’t shoot the guy in the head.

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You can still drive a car into someone with shot out tyres.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 21/10/2024 21:01

'Justice' is not only served when you get the result that you want, and demand

We could have done with that posted in bold at the top of the thread, @NDerbys32. It's as true now as it's always been, but sadly some simply can't deal with the word "no"

DojaPhat · 21/10/2024 21:03

Worriedaboutdoggo · 21/10/2024 19:05

Unfortunately we need armed police officers, but who would want to be one after this?

Every cloud and all that.

Calmestofallthechickens · 21/10/2024 21:04

username35890 · 21/10/2024 20:28

If he can't do his job without shooting unarmed civilians in the head, he shouldn't be doing it.

I can't believe how pro police people are. All the unarmed men shot by the police have been black. Investigations have found the police to be institutionally racist and it seems to be chock full of abusers, but apparently they can't do anything wrong.

The officer lied, he said that the car was coming towards him at speed, we can all see it was stationary. He said there was an imminent threat to life - there wasn't.

He could see -he didn't need CCTV or any other evidence - that the man had his hands on the wheel and the car was stationary.

Show quote history

Just out of interest before labelling it as a racist shooting, do you actually know what ethnic background the police officer who shot him was?

’Unarmed civilian’ is one way to describe him, ‘convicted gang member with history of violence’ is another. A vehicle can be used as a weapon. The very fact that armed police were sent after him means there was enough intelligence to deem him a serious threat.

AdviceNeeded2024 · 21/10/2024 21:05

Restlessinthenorth · 21/10/2024 19:09

I wouldn't blame every armed police officer in the country giving up their weapons. Then let's see how happy all these people who want to criticise the police at every turn are when and if there is an incident where the lives of their loved ones are at stake.

The mayor of Londons statement on this is a disgrace. Why does he need to send his condolences to Kabas friends and family? Where are the condolences for the officer and his family who have no doubt gone to hell and back in the run up to this trial?

Sadiq Khan is an utter incompetent disgrace and how he is still in office completely baffles me.

Noname99 · 21/10/2024 21:05

‘Shoot out his tires’
ffs - its not the movies. You cant shoot at close range to metal rims with serious risk of ricochet. And hand guns are not accurate to within cm. Watch the damn Olympics - in perfect conditions with scopes and weights etc. All that rubbish that you see on television with actors hitting people in the leg is bollocks.

username35890 · 21/10/2024 21:06

Firestace · 21/10/2024 20:58

This is the issue with body cam footage, it makes it harder for people like you to try and push your own agenda with fantasy. You can hear the car revving, you can see him clearly be told to raise his hands and looking out at the police and then proceeding to speed off, he only didn't manage it because he got wedged between a police car and another car. The accounts from the police match the footage and let's be real this doesn't sound like someone with a high regard for the lives of other people does it.

Edited
Show quote history

Those with weak arguments often resort to personal attacks.

He didn't 'speed off' , his car wasn't travelling at speed. He was told to get out of the car, he reversed and hit the car behind him, he moved forward and hit a car to the side and then stopped.

If he was speeding, how come the officer was standing in front of the car?