Chris Kaba: Inquest opens into death of man shot by police

An inquest has been opened into the death of Chris Kaba, who was shot by armed police in south London.

Coroner Andrew Harris offered his condolences to the family of the 24-year-old, who was shot through the windscreen of a car in Streatham Hill on 5 September.

Mr Kaba's family have asked for an urgent decision on whether criminal charges should be brought in the case.

The Met Police marksman who fired the fatal shot has been suspended.

Inner South London Coroner's Court heard an unarmed Mr Kaba was driving an Audi that had been linked by police to a firearms incident the previous day, although his name was not included in the briefing given to officers. An automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) marker had been placed on it.

At 21:52 BST, about 15 minutes before the shooting, a pursuit began by officers in an unmarked police car with no lights or sirens.

After driving the Audi down Kirkstall Gardens, Mr Kaba was blocked by a marked police car and there was contact between the Audi and police vehicles, the court heard.

An officer standing to the front of the Audi then fired a single shot through the windscreen, which hit Mr Kaba in the head.

He was taken to hospital, but died soon after midnight on 6 September. A provisional cause of death was given as a "gunshot wound to the head".

Speaking outside the coroner's court, his cousin Jefferson Bosela said: "An urgent decision on criminal charges is critical for this family and many others to have faith in a system that is supposed to bring them justice."

He said that the shooting felt "very personal" for many communities across London, because Mr Kaba could have been their son.

The family has called on the police officers involved to be interviewed under caution and for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to keep the family up to date with its investigation.

Mr Bosela, flanked by Mr Kaba's mother Helen Lumuanganu and father Prosper Kaba, added: "This should never have happened. It must never happen again.

"We must never accept this as normal. Someone must be held accountable."

Construction worker Mr Kaba was due to become a father when he died.

The hearing was adjourned to allow the IOPC to carry out its investigation. The watchdog is investigating the shooting as a potential homicide.

The IOPC confirmed the probe was set to last between six and nine months, something Mr Kaba's family said they were "alarmed" at.

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