THE grieving mother of Chris Kaba has demanded answers from the police watchdog six months on from the fatal police shooting of her unarmed son.
The 24-year-old was shot in the head by a firearms officer after his car was pursued by officers in Streatham Hill, south London, on September 5.
The Metropolitan Police officer, known only as NX121, has been suspended and interviewed under caution after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched a homicide investigation.
The watchdog originally said its investigation would end within six to nine months. But Kaba’s family say that is already too long, and are demanding the IOPC to make an urgent decision on criminal charges in the case.
In a joint statement, the family said: “We urge the IOPC to take immediate action to progress advice on criminal charges, and the Crown Prosecution Service to provide this advice without any further delay.”
His mother, Helen Lumuanganu, said: “We have waited for six months already for the decision. We don't want to wait for another six months. This, for us, is a painful reminder of something that will never change. Enough is enough.”
Despite earlier police reports of a police chase, details heard by the inquest into his death revealed that Kaba had been followed by an unmarked police car without its lights or sirens on.
When he turned into a residential road, he was blocked by a marked police car, the inquest heard.
Kaba, who was due to become a father for the first time, had not been a suspect, the IOPC confirmed.
Danie Machover, the family’s lawyer, accused the IOPC of failing the family and the wider public “by failing to complete its criminal investigation promptly.”
Kaba’s family statement continued: “We must never accept a young unarmed black man being shot by police on the streets of London as normal. This should never have happened. It must never happen again.”
The IOPC said it is “confident” that its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting will end within the six to nine month timeframe that it originally gave.
A spokesman said: “We are awaiting an external report which we require in order to conclude our investigation, finalise our report and then decide whether or not to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision.”
