What happened to Chris Kaba? Martyn Blake named as Met police officer accused of murdering 24-year-old rapper

A Metropolitan Police firearms officer charged with the murder of then 24-year-old rapper Chris Kaba has been named Martyn Blake, as reported.

The young rapper was shot dead in Streatham Hill, south London, in September 2022. The Met firearms officer was named at a pre-trial hearing on March 8, as reported by The Independent.

The shooting occurred after Chris Kaba, who was driving a dark black Audi Q8, came to a stop and was surrounded by the police, as per the Guardian. He was shot in the head through the car windshield by Martyn Blake. Later, it emerged that the vehicle did not belong to him, as The Independent reports.

Kaba was a member of the rap group 67.

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Met Police officer Martyn Blake entered formal plea of not guilty for Chris Kaba's death

A representative image of an officer, who has been named under Kaba murder case (Image via Getty)

Chris Kaba, a rapper, construction worker, and father-to-be, was shot on September 5, 2022, and pronounced dead a couple of hours later, as reported by the Guardian. A 40-year-old firearm officer, Martyn Blake, was named in connection with Kaba's death by a judge at the Old Bailey on Friday, March 8, 2024.

Kaba, who performed as Madix or Mad Itch as his stage name, was driving a dark black Audi Q8 car. The police were reportedly chasing him, and a firearm officer shot via the windshield after the car came to a stop.

As per the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), during the investigation, it was discovered that the car he was driving was not his. However, it was believed to be linked to a firearms incident that took place the previous day and had an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) marker on it.

A briefing was provided for the firearms incident the previous day, prior to the officers' shift on September 5, 2022; however, Chris Kaba's name was not in the briefing, as per IOPC reports.

On Friday, March 8, 2024, Martyn Blake appeared at the Old Bailey Court for the pre-trial and pleaded non-guilty to murdering Chris Kaba. He was released on bail but will have to appear for a trial on October 2.

According to the charity INQUEST, never before was an on-duty officer found guilty of murder in a police shooting, despite having strong evidence against the person. As per The Independent, Director of INQUEST Deborah Coles said,

"Police cannot and should not be above the law. Accountability for police officers and forces involved in death, even where evidence of criminality and wrongdoing is identified, is extremely rare. In any other murder trial, the accused would be publicly named. This case is no different. We welcome today's decision."

While the officer has been named, there are restrictions on publishing his photo or address, as per the BBC.

As per the publication, the Metropolitan Police Federation said in a statement that it was “hugely shocked, saddened and concerned over the decision to name the firearms officer involved in this incident.”

The Federation secretary, Rick Prior, added that police officers should have the confidence that they'll have the protection necessary for doing this “difficult and dangerous job society expects of them.” He added:

“Being a firearms officer in London is one of the world’s toughest jobs. Officers, who volunteer for the role, know the responsibility and accountability that comes with it. It is a job like no other and they need fairness when it comes to scrutiny.”

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Officer Martyn Blake, the Met police officer charged with Chris Kaba's death, is released on bail. The subsequent trial is on October 2, 2024.