BBC criticised over new Chris Kaba documentary after firearms police officer was cleared of murdering him - as lead investigator defends decision to pursue case

The BBC has been criticised for screening a new documentary about Chris Kaba two weeks after the officer who shot him dead in 2022 was cleared of a murder charge and had a £10,000 bounty put on his head.

The officer who shot him, Sergeant Martyn Blake, shot him in the head and was later charged with murder, which he was later cleared of following a trial at the Old Bailey last month.

Kaba's former gang, the notorious group known as '67' have placed an £10,000 bounty on his head and the officer has been forced into hiding.

The BBC tonight broadcast a Panorama documentary that examined Kaba's killing and the fallout from it.

Chris Hobbs, a former Met officer and police commentator, told the Telegraph: 'The timing of this documentary is very questionable, given that there remains a significant threat to Sgt Blake's life.

'The flames have only just begun to die down, but then you have the IOPC and its investigator choosing to throw petrol on to the embers, with the assistance of the BBC and its Panorama documentary.

'We are now fully aware of the extreme levels of violence which surrounded Mr Kaba and his fellow gang thugs.

'This documentary is therefore only likely to increase the risk faced by the officer who was found not guilty of murder.

The programme was also aired despite proceedings into alleged misconduct remaining active.

One serving Met firearms officer told the newspaper: 'Two weeks ago, Sgt Blake was cleared of murder by a jury of his peers. They took just three hours to decide the case against him was unfounded.

'We then discover that Chris Kaba was a key member of one of the most dangerous gangs in London and members of that enterprise have placed a £10,000 bounty on Sgt Blake's life.

'I would have hoped all of that might be enough to persuade the BBC to hold off airing such a potentially provocative programme. But sadly not. Let's just hope this doesn't spark the sort of violent backlash that we feared following the verdict.'

The documentary featured Sal Naseem, a former director at the Independent Office for Police Conduct, who said the Met had been 'pressing' him over whether a firearm was found in Kaba's car at the time of the shooting.

'A forensic examination had been done. We were satisfied that no non-police firearms had been recovered. I remember having an exchange with a senior officer from the Met where they were questioning, "Are you certain that the vehicle has been sweeped thoroughly enough?"

'They were pressing me, "Are you sure? Are you sure there's not a firearm here?"

'Yes, we were sure. It betrayed a strong desire that something was found. Then, the scenario becomes "this was an armed man", and the picture it paints is different to the scenario where he was unarmed.'

He added that he was not convinced at the time that Kaba was enough of a danger to justify Blake's decision to kill him, a statement criticised by the IOPC itself.

The police watchdog said, that as an ex-employee, Mr Naseem did not represent its official view, adding that he was not a key decision-maker in the Kaba case when it concluded.

Also featured in the documentary were Kaba's parents, Prosper and Helen.

Prosper told Panorama that following his son's death, he has felt no reason to keep living life.

He said: 'People have to lose their parents. This is life - you are born, you have your parents, they die. You can understand it, you can explain.

'But a parent who loses a son, especially at that age... for me, life doesn't have any meaning.'

A spokesperson for the BBC told the Telegraph: 'This investigation is in the public interest.

'All of our programmes are produced in accordance with the BBC's editorial guidelines - this includes a commitment to impartiality and hearing a range of perspectives.

'We encourage people to watch the documentary in full and to make up their own minds.'