Chris Kaba’s family says police reforms are “punishment” in his case

Chris Kaba’s family said new police reforms introduced by the Home Secretary, which include anonymity for prosecuted firearms officers unless convicted, were like a “punishment” in his case.

The ruling came after the families of people who died in custody delivered a handwritten note to Sir Keir Starmer saying they wanted to remind the Prime Minister of “everyone’s right to life”.

The letter was delivered after hundreds of people marched from Trafalgar Square to Downing Street on Saturday as part of the United Families and Friends Campaign, which supports the families of “loved ones missing at the hands of the state”.

The family of Chris Kaba, who was fatally shot by police marksman Martyn Blake – who was cleared of murder on Monday – took part in the march with members of the Justice for Chris Kaba campaign.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper this week unveiled a series of reforms, including that the identities of firearms officers will be kept secret if they are prosecuted unless convicted.

Blake (40) appeared in court after shooting Mr Kaba through the windscreen of an Audi Q8 on September 5, 2022, as the 24-year-old tried to force his way past police cars in Streatham, south-east London.

When reporting restrictions were lifted after the case, it emerged that Kaba was a “core member” of one of London’s most dangerous criminal gangs and was allegedly directly linked to two shootings in the six days before he was shot dead by police.

Sheeda Kaba, Mr Kaba’s cousin, said the Home Secretary’s new measures on the anonymity of firearms officers were like a “punishment” in her cousin’s case.

Speaking to the media outside Number 10, she said: “All it has told us is that we are beefing up protection for officers because no other officer will go this far and face prosecution.

“It’s almost like we’re being punished for my cousin’s case getting this far in two years. So (with) the media’s smear campaign, it is as if we are dying the second death.

“First they took Chris and now they want us. But speaking on behalf of my family, we will not be silenced.

“We will continue to say Chris’s name.”

Speaking to the AP news agency at 10 Downing Street, Marcia Rigg, sister of Sean Rigg, who died in police custody in 2008, said: “We are here to remind him now that he is the Prime Minister (to whom) everyone has the right their right to life no matter what.

“If there is a crime, they go to prison and serve their sentence. Not a death sentence. There is no justice.”

Lee Lawrence, whose mother Cherry Groce was left paralyzed after being shot by police in 1985, said Saturday’s protests outside Downing Street were about “solidarity”.

He said: “(Today) is absolutely important. Today is about solidarity, and solidarity is not temporary.

“We hear about very few names in the media.

“But as you can see from the crowd outside, many people died at the hands of the state.

“So today is about us all uniting and showing our common voice.”

Lawrence said the growing list of people dying “at the hands of the state” made it appear as if “no lessons had been learned.”

He said: “It’s sad and I feel like no lessons have been learned and our voices are not being heard.

“The question is, what else do we need to do?”

Lawrence described the outcome of Mr Blake’s trial at the Old Bailey as “another disappointing result”.

He said: “(It was) another disappointing result, but at the same time we are not against it.

“It is almost impossible to get justice in this country. But that won’t stop us.”

Families who previously provided Sir Keir with a handwritten note said they had been left with “indefinite trauma” by losing loved ones “at the hands of the state”.

Speaking outside No 10, they said: “Families are suffering endless trauma and are being influenced by the state at the hands of them… this is a sensitive issue and we want it to be resolved amicably.

“Everyone has the right to life and family too.

“We are traumatized and every time we hear about another death, we feel pain.

“Families must never be forgotten.”

Kadija George, a cousin of Sheku Bayoh, who died after police restrained him in 2015, said it was important to remember the families as victims.

She said: “They need to acknowledge that the victims are the family.

“So often in the press it is portrayed that these are people who have committed this act, who have experienced trauma, who have to take time off work and who need to be taken care of.

“It has nothing to do with families. It has nothing to do with the victims.

During the march, some held signs reading “No justice,” “No one forgotten, nothing forgiven,” and “No to hate, no to fascism,” while others also held images of people they believed died in custody.

The Justice for Chris Kaba campaign speaker addressed the crowd marching on Downing Street and led chants of “We believe we will win” and “A nation united will never be defeated.”

The activist stressed to the crowd and press in central London that they were not there “just for the Kaba family”, but for all “grieving” families who are “grieving at the hands of the state”.

It came after thousands of Tommy Robinson supporters gathered in central London on Saturday for a planned protest, which the political activist will miss after he was detained by police.

There was also a counter-protest organized by the Stand Up to Racism organization, which called on its supporters to “take to the streets” as part of a “mass anti-fascist demonstration.”