'You've been trained by Hollywood': Met's 'most controversial marksman' dismisses call for police to 'shoot lower'

A former Met firearms officer told Black Lives Matter activist that she was "trained by Hollywood" after the activist questioned why Martyn Blake did not opt for non-lethal force against Chris Kaba.

Former Met Police Specialist Firearms Officer Tony Long and Black Lives Matter Activist Amarn Ayton clashed over the acquittal of a Met marksman who fatally shot Chris Kaba.

Speaking with LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, the pair argued over whether Firearms officer Martyn Blake could have avoided fatally shooting Mr Kaba.

The officer, 40, stood trial after shooting the 24-year-old through the front windscreen of an Audi Q8 in Streatham, south-east London, in September 2022.

"Shoot lower. You don't shoot the person in the head and kill them point blank," Ms Ayton said.

"That's not what you do in terms of trying to stop someone in regards to someone who has committed a crime. That's my personal opinion," she added

Asked by Nick if it was realistic to "shoot in a different place," Mr Long retorted that Ms Ayton was "highly trained by Hollywood."

He said: "That's what happens in the movies. The detective with the two inch revolver shoots the tyres and the car stopped. In the movies, absolutely. That's where it works. It doesn't work in real life."

Mr Long then called the Black Lives Matter activist "silly and childish" for the suggestion because pistol rounds would "bounce off" a tyre.

Ms Ayton then asked him to address why Mr Blayke shot Chris Kaba in the head rather than the arm or chest, where he "could have lived."

"Was it not incompetence," she asked.

"Well, the reality is, if my aunt had testicles, she'd by my uncle," the former marksmen said before demanding Ms Ayton "stop interrupting and being childish."

He said: "These things happen in a fraction of a second. You know, you've got police officers trying to open doors."

"Yes, someone probably could have shot from the side, but that person was actually trying to smash the window. He was trying to open the doors.

"These things happen so quickly that, yes, somebody could have, but there's no point saying somebody could have done something. They didn't. We can't do something else."

On Monday evening, more than 100 people gathered outside the Old Bailey, where a number of speakers demanded "justice" for Mr Kaba and his family.

A banner was held that said "We Keep Each Other Safe", as well as placards saying "Justice for Chris Kaba".

Chants of "Say his name - Chris Kaba" and "No justice - no peace" were heard outside the Central Criminal Court on Monday evening as police closed off the road to traffic.

Mr Kaba's family said they are "devastated" and feel "the deep pain of injustice".

Questions have already been raised about how firearms officers are held to account in fatal shootings, with dozens of Mr Blake's colleagues downing tools when he was first charged with murder.

Police bosses raised concerns that officers would no longer be willing to volunteer to take on firearms training due to the levels of scrutiny that they could face if they had to take a fatal shot.

Mr Blake had never fired a gun at a human being, or seen a gun fired at a human being, before the night Mr Kaba died.

The jury heard that those close to Mr Blake had been hesitant about him becoming a police marksman but that he felt it was "the best job" in the Metropolitan Police.

Official figures show that in England and Wales in the year to March 2023 there were 18,395 police firearms operations.

Police weapons were deliberately fired at 10 of these incidents, resulting in three fatalities.