The Case of Chris Kaba.

May his soul rest in eternal paradise.

What Happened?

Chris Kaba was 24 years old; a son, fiancé, and soon to be father. He was murdered by a metropolitan police officer in Streatham Hill, Brixton, on the 5th September 2022. Chris was allegedly chased by police in a belligerent vehicle pursuit, and was unarmed when the police killed him.

The police are reported to have attempted the “PIT” manoeuvre to halt the car that Chris was driving, otherwise known as the Pursuit Immobilisation Technique. “PIT” is a tactic used by police during vehicle pursuits that abruptly forces a driver to lose control of the car and ultimately stop, achieved by police ramming their own car or vans into the fleeing vehicle.

After the police had rammed his car and it was stationary, Chris Kaba was devastatingly shot in the head whilst sitting in the driver seat.

The Aftermath

A post-mortem examination was performed on the 9th of September 2022 and the primary cause of death was declared a gunshot wound to the head.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) have deemed Chris’ case a homicide investigation and have informed the Kaba family that it could take 6-9 months to conclude. The IOPC have affirmed that they are conducting a “wide-ranging independent investigation”, exploring all the facts and circumstances surrounding the case. An inquest conducted on the 4th October 2022 has since revealed that Chris Kaba was followed by an unmarked police vehicle with no lights or sirens. The IOPC has explicitly stated they will investigate whether or not Mr Kaba’s race had any influence on the actions taken by the police that led to his death.

Media Response

Sky News is currently at the centre of an Ofcom investigation after mistaking Chris Kaba protesters for mourners of Queen Elizabeth. 598 viewers complained after presenter Sarah-Jane Mee incorrectly described the protest moving through Central London as a “gathering for people mourning the Queen’s death”.

Sky News later apologised for mistaking the group of protesters for royal crowds. However, this type of negligent and avoidable mistake has become a reoccurring issue across media platforms that presented itself more than once during the Black Lives Matter protests over recent years.

Our Response

We demand justice for Chris Kaba, irrespective of the circumstances of the case or the investigation’s outcome. The police are not the judge, jury or executioner. The police do not and should not have the right to murder civilians. That is not justice; death is not justice. If the police have any suspicion that an individual poses a threat to society, or is a criminal, that individual should be given their day in court. It should never be the choice of a police officer who lives or dies.

How You Can Help

- Write to your local MP, and demand that they have this case acknowledged and discussed in Parliament.

- Share this story with your friends, families and followers to keep the memory and conversation of Chris Kaba alive.

- Pull up to any protests you can that are being held in honour of Chris or against police negligence.

To stay up to date on the details of this case, follow these pages on Instagram:

@jeffersonbosela and @justiceforchriskaba