Household of man shot by police final 12 months face ‘agonising’ look ahead to cost determination
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elatives of a person who was shot useless by police one 12 months in the past say the wait to listen to whether or not the officer concerned will face prison costs is agonising.
The household of Chris Kaba has accused the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of an absence of urgency in making a choice over the case.
Prosecutors have had the file of proof, put collectively by watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct, since March.
On Tuesday, in a press release to mark one 12 months since Mr Kaba died, his household stated: “We demand a charging decision without further delay. Throughout the last year there has been a lack of urgency.
“Our family, alongside the community who have supported us over the past year, have been consistent in our call for accountability.
“We believe that it was possible within six months of Chris being killed both for the IOPC to complete a well-resourced and effective criminal investigation and for the CPS to provide us with a charging decision.”
Mr Kaba was killed in Streatham Hill, south-east London, after the automotive he was driving was adopted by an unmarked police automotive with no lights or sirens.
He then was Kirkstall Gardens, a slender residential road, the place he was blocked by a marked police automotive, the 2 automobiles collided and a marksman fired one shot by means of the windscreen, hitting Mr Kaba within the head.
It later emerged that the Audi the 24-year-old was driving, which didn’t belong to him, had been linked by police to a firearms incident the day prior to this.
Construction employee Mr Kaba was months away from turning into a father when he died.
His household are holding a protest beginning at noon exterior New Scotland Yard on Saturday to demand solutions.
Deborah Coles, director of the charity Inquest that helps bereaved households, stated: “It is simply unacceptable we do not yet have a charging decision.
“This exacerbates the family’s trauma and grieving process.”
Lawyer Daniel Machover, of Hickman and Rose – who signify the household, stated: “I am appalled that, after the IOPC took almost seven months to complete its investigation, the CPS has failed to complete its task within a further five months.
“In what other comparable suspected homicide case involving firearms discharged by a civilian does the CPS consider it appropriate to take so long to make a charging decision?”
The CPS stated it doesn’t present timescales for charging selections.
A spokeswoman stated: “We are carefully considering the file of evidence to determine whether criminal charges should be brought in relation to the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba.
“As always, we will make that decision independently, based on the evidence and in line with our legal test.”
According to Inquest, since 1990 there have been 1,869 deaths in or following police custody in England and Wales.
There has solely been one conviction of a police officer in that point – West Mercia Police Constable Benjamin Monk who was jailed in 2021 for the manslaughter of former footballer Dalian Atkinson.
Mr Atkinson was tasered to the bottom and kicked within the head in 2016.