London: Chris Kaba Wouldn’t be Dead if He was Not a Black Person – Family
Human Rights Reporters
2 min read
A report by Evening Standard, London, indicates that police watchdogs have informed the family of Chris Kaba, an unarmed black man who was shot dead by a police officer, of investigations and the possibility of racism in his death. The probe will likely take six months to complete.
Chris Kaba who was only 24 and an expectant father was shot through the windscreen after a police chase. The Independent Office for Police Conduct launches the investigation as it has been empowered by the law to conduct a wide range of independent investigations which includes the race factor.
In the IOPC statement, they say they will 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 the 5th of September.”
Crucially the statement added, “We will examine whether or not Mr Kaba’s race influenced any actions taken by the police.” The police officer who shot the black man has since been suspended from duty.
The family will equally be “privately and confidentially” given the opportunity to watch the video footage of the lead-up to the shooting as soon as practicable.
On their part, the family welcomes the decision but warned that they won’t be waiting for years for this as they want justice as soon as possible. They shared with the world the devastation at the news of the shooting and called for answers and accountability.
The family of Chris Kaba deeply suspect he died simply because he was a black man, this was evident in their statement when they say, “We are worried that if Chris had not been black, he would have been arrested on Monday evening and not had his life cut short”
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His death sent shock waves through the black community once more as people took to the street to register their protest to support the grieving family of their loved one who was shot by an officer of the Metropolitan Police in South London.
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Among the protesters was Stormzy, one of the superstar musicians in the UK, a 29-year-old black man himself, he cautions the police not to sugarcoat the horrific attack while encouraging the protesters, family and sympathizers to “have stamina” in their efforts to raise awareness of the Chris’ death. The protester registers in the minds of the general public that black lives matter.
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