Police marksman who killed Chris Kaba was 'calm and collected', court told

The constabulary marksman who killed Chris Kaba was “calm and collected” and had “sound” judgment, according to a elder colleague.

On Thursday, a Tactical Firearms Commander (TFC), referred to arsenic HA62, gave grounds successful the proceedings of Martyn Blake for the execution of 24-year-old Mr Kaba connected September 5 2022.

He had been connected work that nighttime and had declared a firearms incidental and ordered the “enforced halt with extraction” aft a fishy Audi that Mr Kaba had been driving was identified successful southbound London.

HA62 confirmed that Blake was a trained Tactical Firearms Adviser who helium had served with much than erstwhile before.

Patrick Gibbs KC, defending, asked: “What did you marque of his temperament?”

The witnesser said: “Calm, collected.”

Asked astir his judgement, HA62 replied: “Sound.”

Mr Gibbs said: “Did you ever spot him aggravated oregon frustrated oregon annoyed oregon letting that get successful the mode of doing the occupation right?”

The witnesser replied: “No.”

Previously, the prosecution has asserted that Blake whitethorn person had an affectional absorption to Mr Kaba’s failed attempts to ram constabulary vehicles and flight successful the seconds earlier helium was shot.

HA62 went connected to tell jurors helium was unaware that Blake had primitively been rostered connected to beryllium the Tactical Firearms Adviser successful the Special Operations Room that nighttime but had swapped to an Armed Response Vehicle (ARV).

At 9.52pm, HA62 was made alert of the sighting of an Audi linked to aggregate reports of the discharge of a gunshot extracurricular a schoolhouse successful Brixton the nighttime before.

Three minutes later, helium declared a firearms incidental and requested to walk tactics connected to the “Trojan Unit” (ARV).

At 9.56pm, the connection was relayed for an enforced halt with extraction of the Audi.

The connection stated it was “involved successful a shooting with a shotgun extracurricular a schoolhouse 24 hours ago”, was 1 of the “getaway vehicles”, and had not been stopped since.

The witnesser confirmed that helium was alert that nary unfortunate had been identified oregon firearm recovered and the suspects were inactive astatine large.

Over the adjacent 10 minutes, a fig of ARVs joined the “Alpha” constabulary car that had identified and begun to travel the Audi in Camberwell.

The Audi went connected a circuitous route, starring HA62 to fishy the operator was alert of the constabulary presence.

At 9.58pm, a chopper was deployed and was sending a unrecorded video provender erstwhile Mr Kaba was changeable astatine 10.07pm successful Kirkstall Gardens successful Streatham, jurors heard.

From that point, nary serviceman progressive successful the incidental was allowed to confer with each different unless determination was an “operational necessity”, the witnesser said.

Cross-examining, Mr Gibbs asked wherefore it would substance if Mr Kaba knew the constabulary were down him earlier officers performed the equipped stop.

The serviceman said the cognition would springiness a fishy the accidental to hole themselves for action.

Mr Gibbs said: “If determination was possibly oregon believed to beryllium the anticipation of a limb successful the car wherefore does it substance they person clip to prepare?”

HA62 replied: “Because they tin acceptable their weapon.”

Jurors person heard that nary firearm was recovered successful the Audi.

Mr Gibbs asked if the hazard to officers surrounding the car became greater the longer the cognition went on.

The Tactical Firearms Adviser connected the night, an serviceman known arsenic AC38, told jurors that the enforced halt with extraction maneuver was 1 of the astir superior that tin beryllium utilized by firearms teams, nether questioning by authoritative Tom Little KC.

The witnesser defended the decision-making that night, saying that “doing thing was not an option”.

AC38 added that it would person been “hugely wrong” if the officers had not taken the accidental to halt immoderate imaginable aboriginal crime.

Blake, 40, has denied Mr Kaba’s execution and the Old Bailey proceedings was adjourned until Friday.