OUTRAGEOUS
‘Vindictive, pernicious & driven by agenda’ – Met cops’ fury as officer cleared of murdering Chris Kaba faces NEW probe
Blake was cleared after a trial at the Old Bailey in October last year
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.
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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.
Even so, 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.
Fury erupted at the decision, with ex cops calling the move "vindictive, pernicious and driven by agenda".
Former Met Police detective Peter Bleksley has blasted the IOPC's decision.
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Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Mr Bleksley said: "It’s vindictive, pernicious, and it’s agenda-driven.
"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.
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"Those at the IOPC have not had the gun oil under the fingernails and had to make split set decisions on whether to pull the trigger or not."
Meanwhile, 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, is it a hostage? or is it one of them?
Moment man shot by Chris Kaba’s ‘67 gang’ in nightclub staggers to car before collapsing in pool of blood
"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.
In a statement today, 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.
"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."
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. I think the IOPC has got this wrong.”
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.
SHOOTING PROBE
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, the night before.
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.
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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.
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