Councillor Claire Holland, the Leader of Lambeth Council, said:
“We have witnessed the pain and trauma in our communities caused by the tragic fatal shooting of Chris Kaba in our borough. Since his killing in September 2022 we have worked to support both his family and local people in coming to terms with this loss.
“The sense of shock and grief felt at the loss of Chris was felt deeply by his family, friends and the community. We have joined them in mourning his loss, and calling for answers.
“We welcomed the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s decision to investigate and ultimately refer this case to trial. The Central Criminal Court murder trial of the Metropolitan police firearms officer who fired the fatal shot has now concluded and we note the Not Guilty verdict.
“While this closes the criminal investigation into Chris’ killing, the trauma in our communities remains and we are committed to working with local people to find a way for us all to address the pain being felt.
“We will be speaking with Chris’s family and local community leaders about how we can best deal with our collective grief and ongoing community concerns.
“We will also be speaking to the Met and the government to continue the push for change that we need to see in both Lambeth and London to ensure that we have the fair and accountable policing our communities both need and deserve.
“Most importantly, we must see real action to address the failings highlighted by Baroness Casey’s devastating report into the Met and that have most impacted on black Londoners, women and our LGBTQ+ communities.
“This is a really difficult moment for our borough. The loss of a young person at the start of their adult life, with so much ahead of them, is such a tragedy. Our thoughts are with his family and friends, particularly at this moment, and we remain committed to supporting them.”
