Sergeant Cleared in Chris Kaba Shooting Faces No Discipline Under New Use‑of‑Force Law

The IOPC withdraws gross misconduct proceedings against Sgt Martyn Blake following a major overhaul of police use‑of‑force rules.

The long-running case surrounding the fatal police shooting of Chris Kaba has taken another significant turn after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed that Sergeant Martyn Blake will face no disciplinary proceedings. The decision follows a recent change in the law governing police use of force during misconduct cases, with the threshold now aligned to the criminal standard rather than the lower civil test. Blake had already been acquitted of murder by an Old Bailey jury in October 2024 after the court concluded he was not guilty of unlawfully killing Mr Kaba during an armed police operation in Streatham, south London.

Stormzy addresses mourners at Chris Kaba’s memorial in September 2022, delivering an emotional call for justice as crowds gathered in south London. The moment, captured during a Sky News report, became a defining image of the public outcry following Kaba’s fatal shooting.

Chris Kaba, aged 24, was shot on 5 September 2022 after armed officers stopped the Audi Q8 he was driving, believing the vehicle had been linked to a firearms incident the previous day. Police said the vehicle attempted to force its way through a containment before a single shot was fired through the windscreen. Mr Kaba was unarmed at the time of the shooting and died in hospital the following day. The case quickly became one of the most closely watched police shootings in recent British history, sparking widespread protests, intense public debate and renewed scrutiny over police accountability, the use of armed officers and race within the criminal justice system.

The IOPC had originally concluded there was a case to answer for gross misconduct, but today's announcement confirms that position has been withdrawn following the legislative changes introduced on 30 June 2026. The watchdog stated that allowing proceedings to continue under the previous legal test would be unfair, as the same conduct would no longer meet the revised threshold unless exceptional circumstances existed. Chris Kaba's family strongly opposed the decision, arguing that a disciplinary hearing remained an essential avenue for public accountability, while supporters of Sergeant Blake have maintained that an officer acquitted by a jury should not face further punishment for carrying out operational duties.

The outcome is certain to reignite fierce national debate. For some, the decision represents overdue protection for armed officers forced to make split-second life-or-death decisions. For others, it raises difficult questions about whether meaningful accountability becomes increasingly difficult once criminal proceedings have ended. With disciplinary action now ruled out, attention is expected to turn to whether an inquest will proceed and what this landmark case means for the future of armed policing, public confidence and justice in Britain.