Armed police in London need our support, says Cabinet minister after officer cleared of Chris Kaba murder

Armed police request the enactment of Londoners, a Cabinet curate said aft an officer was cleared of the execution of Chris Kaba.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed stressed that helium understood concerns successful communities successful the superior astir Mr Kaba’s death.

The MP for Streatham and Croydon North, though, emphasised the value of equipped units connected work successful the superior having the backing of Londoners.

“Chris Kaba was changeable successful my constituency,” helium told Sky News.

“First of each my bosom does spell retired to his household and friends.

“There is interest successful the assemblage astir what has happened.

“But we person to respect the verdict of the jury successful this case.”

He past stressed: “What is important pursuing this is that the constabulary cognize that they volition ever person our enactment successful those critical, split-second decisions that they person to instrumentality but besides that we bash everything that we tin to guarantee that determination is simply a narration built connected spot betwixt the nationalist and the constabulary due to the fact that policing by consent depends connected that.”

Speaking connected Times Radio earlier, helium said: “I recognise that determination are concerns successful the assemblage astir what happened.

“But besides the constabulary request our enactment erstwhile they instrumentality these split-second decisions.”

While expressing his condolences to Mr Kaba’s household and friends, helium told LBC Radio that the “police request to cognize that we person their backs, that they person our enactment successful those split-second, important decisions that they person to take.”

She was acceptable to springiness much details of the reappraisal into the accountability of firearms officers, days aft constabulary marksman Martyn Blake, 40, was cleared of the execution of Mr Kaba.

Mr Kaba, who was 24, was unarmed erstwhile Mr Blake changeable him done the windscreen of an Audi Q8 arsenic helium tried to ram his mode past constabulary cars connected September 5 2022 arsenic officers surrounded his vehicle.

Police had stopped the car arsenic it was suspected of having been utilized arsenic a getaway conveyance successful a caller firearms incidental but did not cognize it was Mr Kaba inside.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is believed to beryllium reviewing whether Mr Blake should inactive look disciplinary proceedings.

Sir Keir Starmer would not beryllium drawn into commenting connected the assemblage determination successful the trial, but said his Government would prime up the accountability reappraisal launched by the erstwhile Tory administration.

Suella Braverman pledged to reappraisal the ways that firearms officers who instrumentality fatal shots are held accountable erstwhile she was Home Secretary successful 2023.

Plans to springiness swifter decisions to suspended officers and much clarity to victims were among the changes touted by the erstwhile government.

Tory ministers besides considered raising the threshold for referring firearms officers for prosecution.

Speaking connected the mode to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting successful Samoa, Sir Keir said: “We are going to prime that up and implicit that accountability reappraisal due to the fact that it is important that the nationalist person assurance successful the constabulary including of people the equipped police.”