British police officer charged with murder in fatal shooting of Black man in South London

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - A British police officer will be charged with murder in the 2022 fatal shooting of Chris Kaba in South London, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced Wednesday.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated the shooting and did not include any reference to a pursuit in its summary of the incident presented to the court after Metropolitan Police said initially that Kaba was shot "following a vehicle pursuit."

"Following a thorough review of the evidence provided by the IOPC, the CPS has authorized a charge of murder against a Metropolitan Police officer following the death of Chris Kaba," said Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division.

"The CPS reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the officer are active and that he has the right to a fair trial," she said.

"It is extremely important there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings," she added.

The police watchdog announced that the officer, whose identity is protected by legal restrictions, is scheduled to appear Thursday at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The shooting occurred Sept. 5 in a residential area of Streatham Hill where the unarmed expectant father was killed by a fatal gunshot to the head by an officer identified as NX121.

Kaba died the following day.

The primary role of the CPS is not to determine an individual's guilt regarding a criminal offense; instead, it is tasked with conducting impartial and equitable evaluations to determine whether it is suitable to bring forth charges for consideration in a criminal court.