Martyn Blake: Armed police officer promoted weeks after being cleared of murder of gang member Chris Kaba

Armed police officer Martyn Blake has been promoted just weeks after he was cleared of the murder of gang member Chris Kaba.

The Metropolitan Police marksman, 40, is set to become an inspector, having passed the relevant exams prior to the fatal shooting two years ago.

Last month, Sergeant Blake was dramatically cleared after being accused of firing his weapon and killing the 24-year-old ‘without justification’ to stop the suspect escaping police.

He shot Kaba through a car windscreen in Streatham, south London, on September 5, 2022, after he failed to stop for officers.

Footage of the incident showed Kaba using his car as a ‘battering ram’ by driving forward and back in an attempt to force his way between a marked police car and a Tesla parked nearby, leading the officer to open fire.

At his Old Bailey trial, the married father of two said he had taken a shot because he believed his colleagues were about to die.

Police had been looking for the car that Kaba was driving after its registration was linked to reports of gunshots in Brixton the night before, the jury was told.

It was also revealed in court that there had been a £10,000 bounty on Sergeant Blake’s head in revenge for the shooting of Kaba, a member of the 67 Gang.

With Sergeant Blake cleared, the Metropolitan Police said he could proceed with his promotion, a move one former chief said was ‘absolutely proper’ and which shows that the force is behind him. However, his advancement comes as he still awaits a decision by the Independent Office of Police Conduct over whether to pursue a gross misconduct case against him.

Former Met chief superintendent Simon Ovens told The Sun: ‘Considering the evidence has been scrutinised in court, the misconduct review should not hold up his promotion.

‘Although there is a different level of proof for disciplinary hearings, is it likely he would be dismissed? The answer is no.’ He added: ‘This shows the Met’s confidence in the officer and reinforces the support the commissioner has in him.’

The Metropolitan Police said it would not comment on anything relating to personal information about an officer’s ‘potential career intentions’.

Sergeant Blake is understood to be moving away from the firearms unit to another section, as is the practice when an officer has been promoted to the rank of inspector.

The Chris Kaba murder trial proved to be an extraordinary and controversial case, which saw hundreds of firearms officers around the country down their weapons in protest after the officer was charged.