Martyn Blake Arrested; – Martyn Blake, aged 40, faced trial at the Old Bailey for shooting a 24-year-old man through the front windscreen of an Audi Q8 in Streatham, southeast London, on September 5, 2022.
The vehicle had been utilized as a getaway car in a shooting incident the night before and was subsequently surrounded by police vehicles in Kirkstall Gardens after an officer recognized its registration. Mr. Kaba attempted to escape by reversing and moving forward, which led Mr. Blake to inform the jurors that he feared for the life of one of his colleagues, prompting him to discharge his weapon to prevent the car from fleeing.
Following Mr. Blake’s acquittal, video evidence was made public, depicting the events of September 5, 2022. The Crown Prosecution Service released footage that included police bodycam recordings from various perspectives.
In the footage, police officers can be seen surrounding Mr. Kaba’s vehicle, with two officers demanding, “show me your hands.” As the car maneuvers back and forth, the command is repeated. A single gunshot is heard, followed by a voice exclaiming, “we’ve got shots fired, shots fired.”
A subsequent inquiry of “where from, where from” is answered with “round the front,” leading to urgent calls for “first aid.” A fellow firearms officer, identified as DS87, stated he would have fired if Mr. Blake had not, while another officer, known by the cypher E156, indicated he was mere fractions of a second away from doing the same.
Another officer, NX109, recounted how his glove got caught in the Audi’s door handle, narrowly escaping being dragged as the vehicle moved forward, expressing concern about being caught between it and a nearby Tesla.
Prosecutors contended that Mr. Blake had miscalculated the danger, overstated the threat to his colleagues in his post-shooting statements, and aimed for Mr. Kaba’s head, all of which he refuted. In his defense, the jury was presented with numerous commendatory testimonials from colleagues and senior officers.
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