Understanding the Chris Kaba Case

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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has escalated its complaint to the broadcast regulator Ofcom after the BBC refused to issue a public apology regarding a Panorama episode about the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba. The IOPC criticized the BBC for airing the programme without including its statement responding to claims made by former regional director Sal Naseem, who suggested the murder investigation into officer Martyn Blake was launched due to pressure over potential public unrest—a claim the IOPC denies.

Chris Kaba, a gang member, was shot by police officer Martyn Blake in Streatham, south-east London, in September 2022 after attempting to ram past police cars. Blake was acquitted of murder in October following a trial at the Old Bailey but may still face internal misconduct proceedings.

The IOPC complained that the Panorama episode failed to make clear that Naseem no longer worked for the watchdog and that the IOPC was not given a proper right of reply to the serious criticisms made. The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) acknowledged the programme did state Naseem’s former status but accepted that the IOPC’s statement should have been included and that the watchdog should have been informed of the claims beforehand. The ECU found this omission unfair but noted that the BBC later added the IOPC’s point of view to the iPlayer version of the programme and related online articles, which it considered sufficient to resolve that part of the complaint.

Despite this, the IOPC remains dissatisfied, particularly because the BBC has refused to publicly apologize, even though it admitted breaching its own guidelines. The IOPC emphasized that the suggestion of external pressure influencing the homicide investigation was incorrect and caused serious reputational damage, leading to public criticism from media, the London Assembly, and local councillors questioning the watchdog’s independence. The IOPC stated that decisions to investigate and refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service were based solely on evidence and legal criteria, not external pressures.

In the Panorama episode, Naseem claimed the homicide investigation was launched partly due to concerns about potential disorder if delayed, a point the IOPC has formally denied and added to the updated programme version and online content. The IOPC stressed that its role was to conduct an impartial investigation into the shooting, not to determine the justification of Sergeant Blake’s actions, which was ultimately decided by the jury