Chris Kaba: Police watchdog to examine race as factor

The police watchdog will examine whether race was a factor in the fatal shooting of a black man by an officer.

Chris Kaba, who was unarmed, was shot on 5 September after a pursuit that ended in south London. His family has accused the Met Police of racism.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is conducting an investigation into the shooting.

Mr Kaba's family criticised how long the investigation may take to give answers.

In a statement the family's lawyer Daniel Machover said: "Six to nine months for this investigation is unacceptably long and lacks urgency.

"It indicates insufficient resources to do the job."

The IOPC said it "will examine whether or not Mr Kaba's race influenced any actions taken by the police".

In a statement, it added: "We must explore all of the circumstances surrounding Mr Kaba's death including: how the officers came to be aware of the vehicle Mr Kaba was driving; if they had any prior knowledge of Mr Kaba; and their decision-making and actions on 5 September."

The Metropolitan Police firearms officer who shot the 24-year-old is suspended from duty.

Met Police Assistant Commissioner Amanda Pearson said: "We continue to fully support the IOPC investigation as they work to establish the facts and try to answer the many questions Mr Kaba's family and others have around his tragic death.

"We've been spending this week speaking with local communities across London, including our Independent Advisory Groups - we know how important it is we listen to their views and concerns and explain as far as we can what is happening. We welcome more of these important conversations."

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the IOPC "must go wherever the evidence takes them".

He added: "I fully understand the grave concerns and impact of Chris Kaba's death on black Londoners across our city and the anger, pain and fear it has caused across our communities - as well as the desire for justice and change.

"The IOPC have confirmed to me that they are fully committed to carrying out a thorough and comprehensive investigation to establish all of the facts - with all key findings made public. I'm clear that the independent investigation must be fearless and leave no stone unturned."

The IPOC said it had been in contact with Mr Kaba's family regarding the investigation, which is expected to take six to nine months to complete.

A coroner's inquest into the death is due to open on 4 October.

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